Reflecting on King’s legacy in troubled times Community members urge Arizonans to support, listen to Black neighbors
The world has changed in the year since Martin Luther King Day 2020. A global pandemic devastated communities. A new president was elected amid chaos that persists. And civil rights activists organized in cities across the U.S. after police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Lousiville.
On June 6, more than half a million people marched in cities as the Black Lives Matter movement moved to center stage amid an often fractious discussion about how police departments treat people of color. In Phoenix, protesters demanded action after a Department of Public Safety trooper shot and killed 28-year-old Dion Johnson.
As Americans prepare to mark King’s birthday Monday, The Arizona Republic asked people in the community to reflect on what the
observance would mean this year.
Kathryn Smith, 60, of Phoenix, an organizer with Common Defense, a veterans organization
“We can’t do the things we have done in the past to honor Dr. Martin Luther King,” not in the middle of a pandemic when public gatherings are unsafe.
Smith would not have felt like joining public events after what happened at the U.S. Capitol last week.
“Before we can have unity, there must be accountability and consequences.” The House vote to impeach President Donald Trump was a start.
Instead of posting quotes from King on social media, she suggested posting about a good deed taken in King’s honor.
“To honor what he did, go do something for a homeless person. Go do something for a Black kid. Buy a book and send it to your neighbor, regardless of their race. Do a good deed in his name.”
Taylor Mahoney, 27, of Chandler, artist and policy typist
“For Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day, I feel that the right way to celebrate it is to support Black people. It seems like the easiest and most obvious thing to do; however, with the events last year, just saying it isn’t enough.”
There are basic ideas online to help, including signing petitions, donating and voter information.
“I am not saying you have to do something spectacular or grand on MLK Day,” Mahoney said.
“It could be as big as donating to several charities or as small as just promoting around the charities. Spread awareness of the issues to those around you, and support Black-owned businesses (local or otherwise), be it a restaurant or a store. If you can’t, well, promoting it would be the next best. If you really believe in the cause, show it, don’t tell it.”
As an artist, she encourages people to support young Black artists.
“This is me also speaking as a young artist, but if you have an (up and coming) Black artist, singer, dancer, writer, etc. and you don’t think enough people know of them, promote them like crazy. They deserve the attention.”
Rev. Reginald Walton, senior pastor of Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Phoenix
“I would urge everyone on Monday to reflect in the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by reflecting upon the words which he eloquently wrote such as the Letter from the Birmingham Jail and his work, ‘Chaos or Community,’ in particular in light of recent events. The rationale is to shine a light on injustice and to work together to build bridges in order to keep the dream alive and one day come to fruition.
“The only difference I make this year is to reflect on the state of our nation and the hatred we have seen on display, notably the events of the last week at the Capitol and the despicable act of racism we saw during Vice Mayor Goode’s funeral. It is time for a serious look at where we stand as a nation and as human beings
Sean Daniels, artistic director, Arizona Theatre Company
“Martin Luther King Day is always an inspirational day in our house.
“When I was running a theatre in Atlanta, I was once invited to attend an event with Coretta Scott King. She had earlier in the day found some tapes of Martin Luther King reading Psalms, and asked if we’d like her to play them.
“I will live my whole life and never have such a great casual opening statement to any gathering.
“Years later, John Lewis would start attending our theatre (we were in his district) and pictures of him dancing in the street at our biggest fundraiser are some of my favorites ever. The joy with which he represented his community is something I will never forget. You think of all that man faced, and yet, he did not have to be told twice that it was time to dance.
“At Arizona Theatre Company, this past year we honored the legacy of Martin Luther King, and so many others like
John Lewis, by shifting our programming to more accurately reflect the world we live in. During the pandemic, 60% of the artists we employed thru our virtual season were artists of color.
“We believe that theatre has the unique ability to not only entertain, but to open up hearts and minds, and in this incredibly challenging year, we continue to honor him by saying that we will continually be dedicated to an equitable just future. First on our stages, then across Arizona, and eventually the world.“
Kisha Gulley, blogger and content creator
Kisha Gulley identifies as an AfroLatina content creator and autism advocate as the mother to a son who is on the autism spectrum. She writes on the blog The Kisha Project.
“I think the most important thing I can do is keep showing up. Keep standing up for what is right. I won’t be silenced by people who are uncomfortable admitting what we’ve always known. You can’t heal a country if you can’t admit there is anything wrong to begin with.”
Jacob Raiford, lead organizer and spokesperson for W.E. Rising Project
Raiford was among more than 20 community members selected for the City of Tempe’s Public Safety Advisory Task Force that aims to review how police operate in the city. He referred to Martin Luther King, Jr., as a trailblazer who dedicated his life to the advancement of the Black community. “The best way to honor someone of that magnitude is to continue to push, to continue to have moments of discomfort, to have those uncomfortable conversations, to challenge history in this system of oppression,” Raiford said. “That’s what he and so many other people in his generation did and we’re more or less taking that torch and carrying it onto a brighter future.”
While King advocated for civil rights and inflicted change, Raiford said, “we still have a long way to go,” particularly as it relates to the mistreatment of Black and brown communities by police departments and “the rules that allow these departments to commit these acts with impunity.”
“Change is incremental, they established a lot of change and we’re here for the next act. Hopefully our children will have a very limited amount of work to do in our wake.”
Rashaad Thomas, poet, writer and activist
“Americans must stop using Dr. Martin Luther King’s words to perpetuate white supremacy. Every year, Americans pervert Dr. King’s dream by using the message, ‘people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of the character.’ That doesn’t mean we should be color blind. It means we must stop being blind to inequality. He used the word ‘character’ as a double entendre. It means moral and ethical qualities, but is also synonymous with complexion, the tone of skin color. Before white America assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he implored Black people to yell to the mountaintops, ‘Yes, I am Black and proud. Black and beautiful!’
“American mythology paints Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a “Good Negro.” It disregards Dr. King’s radical visions. The neoliberal white imagination ignores his FBI file, the surveillance, and the fact that he called for Black economic empowerment. Dr. King found it necessary to support Black institutions and told Black people to take their money out of white banks and deposit it into Black banks to redistribute the power. We should commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by supporting Black people in controlling their communities. A good start would be creating a South Phoenix City Council like Scottsdale, Sun City, and or Gilbert.”
“I think the most important thing I can do is keep showing up. Keep standing up for what is right. I won’t be silenced by people who are uncomfortable
admitting what we’ve always known.
You can’t heal a country if you can’t admit there is anything wrong to begin with.”
Kisha Gulley
Afro-Latina blogger and content creator