Today, on Dr. King’s Birthday, most America’s thoughts are turned toward this amazing man, what he brought to our nation and to our people. On this day, we remember the struggle in that faded color tv kind of way, where racism was this ugly part of us that passed on into the afterlife, or at least only lives in the southern US. Our eyes water with inspiration and we are thankful that things have changed. However, we sometimes forget how much more of that long road we still have to march.
His day is a reminder, of what those who have gone before me had to live through, and how each of us have played a role in our own collective punishment.
His day is a reminder to me, that it we must celebrate life, culture, our growing movement and how they all intertwine. Let’s break open the paint, the pianos, and utilize art and music, let’s dig deeper into our creative beings in order to communicate our message more effectively. Let us take that same approach when thinking of solutions to this massive problem.
His day is a reminder to me, that it is not just enough to celebrate. We must also recognize the black community in this country, still struggling for basic human rights. We must honor the vision of so many, including Martin Luther King Jr. and re-shape how we interact with one another in this world.
Our movement continues to work on these things, being more inclusive, broadening our efforts, being more active rather than just paying lip-service. But we must all ask ourselves, “Are we doing enough?” As someone still connected to both the Climate and Climate Justice Movements we have to do a lot more personal work, a lot more collective work, a lot more slowing down.
If we really want to build that proverbial bridge between our movements and become a force of change and an embodiment of our vision, Martin Luther King Jr’s vision, this is only the beginning of the many miles down that road.
For personal reading, on how our movement can “move” forward in a more Just way, click here and here.
These lyrics reminded me of the recent Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes cases, as well as the countless others that have gone unnamed, throughout our history:
“Bang Bang Bang”
Tracy Chapman
“…But one fine day
All our problems will be solved
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him down
Give him drugs and give him candy
Anything oohhh, to make him think he’s happy
And he won’t ever come for us
He won’t ever come
But if he does
And if there’s no one else around
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him down
If he preys only on his neighbors
Brothers sisters and friends
We’ll consider it a favor
We’ll consider justice done
But if he comes for you or me
And we can place a gun in his hand
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him dead
What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain’t no place to run to
Ain’t no place to run…”
