First, consider whether you find yourself motivated to observe MLK Day – yes, I meant to make us feel awkward (sorry) – it’s important, so please bear with me….
Those motivated to observe may engage in marches, parades, or hear speeches by civil rights leaders and politicians – some individuals and organizations may undertake volunteer efforts in support of MLK Day of Service.
Not everyone observes all significant holidays – why should MLK Day be any different? Truth is, we’re all motivated by different emotional, physical, and phycological things – these things often move us in ways that cause us to engage, participate or observe a holiday – so, what’s the big deal?
So seriously, if we’re being honest about not being motivated to observe MLK Day, please consider two things:
- I guess we’d have to ask ourselves if we truly understand the movement, the cause, and the motives behind the Civil Rights Movement that Dr Martin Luther King Jr. championed – please consider this illustration:
I was born in 1960 – growing up I remember members of my family reacting emotionally to the deaths of Robert Kennedy, Vivian Leigh, Judy Garland, and Elvis Presley – my mother cried when Elvis died- she also cried when George Wallace was shot in an attempt on his life – in contrast, I do not remember knowing who Dr Martin Luther King Jr was, or that he had been assassinated – I do not remember any thing about the Civil Rights Movement until I got to high school.
We told “nigger” jokes in our house – our extended family referred to Blacks as “niggers” or “boy” – Thanksgiving and Christmas our family put out bowls of unshelled mixed nuts as a tradition – we commonly referred to Brazil nuts as “nigger toes” – our church denied Blacks the right to teach or hold positions of leadership until 1978 – I threw newspapers in a Black neighborhood and feared being there – I worked for a business that did not allow Blacks – I was once directed to tell two young Black girls to leave the business, even though all they wanted was to place high school spirit posters in the window of the business – I was taught at home and in school, that the Civil War was a terrible injustice on the people and culture of the south.
I didn’t think we were hateful, or even prejudice – we were living a life, with a known tainted view of people of color – this tainted view was common among our family and friends – we viewed people of color as a poor pitiful people who should see themselves as blessed to have found themselves in this great nation – we were taught kindness, sharing, service, and charity – but the application of those traits was compartmentalized – as a child I only knew what I was taught, or what my limited experiences were.
Moving forward – I was in the military before my view of the world, people and cultures around me started to evolve – I met amazing, capable, intelligent people of color – I learned their stories, history and challenges – I moved and lived in diverse, multicultural duty stations around the nation and the world – I learned the story of Emmett Till and thousands of equally tragic stories about our nation’s history – I learned accounts, facts, and details about our nation that I never knew – all of the sudden, kindness, sharing, service, and charity took on new “uncompartmentalized” motives.
My time in the military opened my head and my heart to a greater understanding and desire to engage social justice efforts and movements – all of the sudden the entire world around me changed into something that actually measured up to New Testament teachings of Jesus Christ – the world around me started to make sense – Christ and His blessings and desires for us, are not just for the comfortable White Christians compartmentally – Christ and His blessings are actually for all peoples collectively (key word here is collectively).
Challenges like poverty, starvation & homelessness – redlining – refugees fleeing for their lives – sex and slave trafficking – false convictions, imprisonment & execution – predatory lending – illegal and unjust wars & conflicts – prejudices and hate – inadequate healthcare – unjust policing, courts, judges, and juries – industry driven by profits over life, compromised voting practices – gerrymandering, and failed government practices and policies (too many to list them all) took on whole new meanings with clear motivates to engage and address.
Please don’t get lost (or bored) in my story but understand my time in the military turned out to be so much more than service and a career – in spite of harsh “stink-eye” from friends and family, I could see I was the problem the whole time – I needed to ask, seek, and learn more about the people of color who were around me the whole time.
HERE’S THE POINT – before we disregard MLK Day, be honest with ourselves – have we done the work, or the research – have we challenged the culture, concepts, and postures we think are “right” – have we asked the hard questions, listened to the stories, or walked a mile in the shoes of a person of color – have we truly stepped out or our comfortable White culture and tried to understand what it’s like NOT to be White in this nation?
In fairness to us all, we only know what we know…. But do we know enough? Do we know enough to cast doubt on a movement that tens of thousands have given their lives for?
Now remember, I asked us to consider two things before we decide about observing MLK Day – here’s the second thing:
2. What motivates those who do observe MLK Day, and why are they so passionate about it? What are the components of their history, culture, and experiences that make them see observing MLK Day as important?
Consider this – they have lived, or learned the truths so many of us continue to deny – they are the testimony and evidence of the components, history, culture, and experiences that give legitimacy and purpose of the Civil Rights Movement defended by Dr Marin Luther King Jr – why would we seek this validation from anyone else? I must ask it again, why would we seek this validation from anyone else?
Finally, I asked, what’s the big deal (this is my favorite part) – the lesson’s our nation is slow to learn – the rights denied to so many – the justice refused to those most in need – the equality our nation promised to all her citizens, but denied to many… these are all fundamental Biblical truths and Constitutional rights that have been denied and unjustly applied to millions of people of color in this nation, the land of the free – and that’s a big damn deal.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Kevin's Thoughts 