It seemed that this year’s federal
holiday recognizing the birthday of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. got lost in the
confusion and chaos that have consumed the
country. I didn’t hear the usual nonstop
excerpts from Dr. King’s eloquent speeches
streaming from the radio. There didn’t seem
to be as many events that are customarily
planned to honor the King.
Every year that Dr. King’s birthday
comes around, I think about all of the
hypocrites who let his name roll off their
lips but work overtime trying to destroy the
progress of the Civil Rights Movement. Or
who do nothing to stop others from
destroying the hard-fought achievements. I
also wonder what Dr. King might say about
the times we are in. What would the
nonviolent leader say about the fool in the
White House?
Dr. King would likely not have been
offended by trump’s action to undermine his
legacy in so many ways. He would have been
more concerned that people had to pay to
enter national parks on his birthday than
about the fact that a narcissistic, racist
president canceled free admission on the
only two holidays significant to Black
people - Dr. King’s birthday and Juneteenth
- in favor of free admission on his own
birthday.
I don’t think Dr. King would be
able to contain his outrage at MAGA and its
Project 2025 plan, which are driving people
into poverty and endangering lives by
eliminating affordable healthcare. The sight
of trump deploying the military against
unarmed citizens and immigrants would make
his stomach turn. Witnessing the MAGA
supporters trampling the U.S. Constitution
and disregarding the rule of law would be
too much for him to bear. I believe Dr. King
would feel compelled to meet with Trump, to
pray for him, and to confront him about his
fascist agenda.
There is so much of Dr. King’s
legacy from which this country can draw
inspiration in these troubled times. He was
a pacifist, but he was a righteous activist.
He was more than a dreamer; Dr. King turned
his vision into a collective reality. He
left us with more than prophetic wisdom; he
demonstrated unequivocally that this country
was racist, anti-worker, and imperialist.
The struggle against poverty, militarism,
and racism was the cornerstone of his
nonviolent movement. Today, Dr. King would
likely give us a “C” on our progress report,
indicating that our work is far from
finished.
Dr. King would look across the
United States before extending his gaze
across the globe. He would feel deep sadness
over the widespread destruction and trauma
affecting various aspects of life, from
moral decay to environmental degradation. We
have significant work ahead of us, and Dr.
King reminded us, “Difficult and painful as
it is, we must walk on in the days ahead
with an audacious faith in the future.” Some
days, this is more challenging than other
days.
