How Do We Honor the Dream?

Today is the national holiday where we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Across the country, many participated in community service projects, parades, or programs honoring Dr. King's memory. Around this time every year, there seems to be a series of panel discussions and symposiums on whether Dr. King's dream of the "beloved community" has finally been realized. Experts, community leaders, politicians, and scholars will sit on panels and talk about how far we have come and how much work remains to be done. Speeches will be made. Talking points will be quoted. Audiences will applaud. Etc, etc, etc, etc.

Over the years, I have grown tired of the panel discussions on whether race relations have improved. And I am speaking as someone who has served on panels discussing this very topic in the past! The time for talking and paying lip service to the dream of equality, improved race relations, and erradicating bigotry is over. It is time for action! During the 1950s and 1960s, it is action that helped topple the oppressive condition of segregation. It was action that opened up the voting booth to African Americans, and it was action that opened up corporate America to non-White men.

When someone tells an offense joke, do you let it slide or do you tell them that such comments will not be tolerated? When you witness someone perpetuating discriminatory policies in the workplace, do you report them? When someone chooses to use racial, gender, or homophobic slurs, do you stop them and let them know that such language is offensive? Have you broadened your social circle to include people that do not look like you? Are you making an effort to understand other cultures?

The best way that all of us can honor Dr. King's memory is through action and not being silent when we witness injustice. On this King Day, I am going to take a look in the mirror and ask myself what actions I can take to make Dr. King's dream move closer toward reality. In the words of Dr. King, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent."


Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day!