As I anticipated Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in the midst of so much happening in our world, I gave some thought to some of the lesser-acknowledged lessons he shared. Certainly, King was prolific in his speaking and acting for civil rights for Black people, but he had a critical perspective that is less often shared in our remembrances of him.
On systemic racism:
In his essay, “A Testament of Hope,” published in 1969, King said,
“Justice for black people will not flow into this society merely from court decisions nor from fountains of political oratory…White America must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.”
On poverty:
Many remember that Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, TN in 1968. Not everyone knows that he was there in support of the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike. King recognized that economic justice was necessary to realize social justice more broadly. In his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize lecture, the Quest for Peace and Justice, he said,
“The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty. The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.”
On peace:
Martin Luther King Jr. led a nonviolent movement in the face of great violence. He stood up for peace within the United States, and protested against war, particularly that in Vietnam. In his speech, “The Trumpet of Conscience,” in 1968, he said,
“We must find new ways to speak for peace… for justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”
Today, as we witness ongoing systemic racism, devastating poverty, and unspeakable violence and war, let us work to lift up more of King’s teaching as we remember and honor him.
Please join CSU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. march and celebration on Jan. 15.
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