As we celebrated the national holiday commemorating the birthday of Martin Luther, King Jr., I thought about how popular it is in our time to “embrace” him as a national hero. Yet in his own lifetime, Dr. King was never a popular figure to the majority of Americans. Especially among most white people, he was depicted as an agitator, outsider, troublemaker, and disloyal citizen. He regularly faced verbal abuse, death threats, and physical attacks because of his commitment to racial justice and equity. By the time he was assassinated in April 1968, Dr. King was one of the most unpopular people in the country.
If we truly want to “embrace” Dr. King, it means refusing to settle for a myth that turns him into a universally accepted popular hero whose work for racial equality was completed over 50 years ago. Rather, truly embracing Dr. King invites us to the ongoing struggle of a nonviolent faith based movement to challenge contemporary forms of racism in education, housing, mass incarceration, voting rights, medical care, and wealth disparity. I conclude with the words of Dr. King from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. These are not the most familiar words that are routinely quoted about judging people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. That part of the speech has been distorted by those who promote the myth of a simplified domesticated version of Dr. King in support of claims that we live in a “post-racial” America. Embracing him today means embracing the following words that challenge us to continue the struggle for racial justice and equity today:
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.
There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.