King’s dream still relevant as ever

Today we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day in an atmosphere all too reminiscent of the turbulent times in which the great civil rights activist and minister lived and died.

Racial inequality remains a serious problem, and too many fail to comprehend the difficulties people of color face.

King’s assassination was one of the signature events of 1968, a year long regarded as one of the most difficult our nation has ever faced.

We’re sad to say that 2020 and now 2021 belong in the same unfortunate category of eras marked by extreme conflicts in our society. These are times that so many Americans would love to forget but likely never will.

Of course one of the big issues today is America’s ongoing reckoning with race. As we mark King’s 92nd birthday, it’s only appropriate to once again consider where we are in dealing with the subject that was the center of King’s work.

News today moves at such incredible speed that it’s sometimes hard to remember what was on front pages weeks and months ago. But it was mere months ago that communities across the country were roiled by protests involving people who believe the nation has fallen far short of King’s dream of racial justice.

The presidential election and its aftermath have dominated attention lately, but be assured that millions of Americans have not forgotten about the death of George Floyd at the hands of police last summer and the outpouring of emotion that it produced. It’s a certainty that we’ll be back in that same place before too long if people of goodwill and their leaders don’t finally find a way to make changes that establish faith in fair treatment for all Americans regardless of their race, ethnicity or national origin.

Thanks in large part to King and others of his era, we have made significant process in terms of racial equality over the past half-century or so. It would be a big mistake to deny it when discussing this subject. But we’ve still got plenty of work to do.

Racial inequality remains a serious problem. Our leaders must follow through on the steps they’ve vowed to take in reforming police to ensure Blacks and other minorities no longer fear contact with law enforcement. And each of us must redouble our determination to reject the racist attitudes that too many people feel comfortable expressing.

A focus on King’s legacy can only help. He forced many Americans to finally face up to the injustices they had allowed to fester for so long and to conclude that it was time to right them. We still need such activism today. Too many fail to comprehend the difficulties people of color face and the role that our government policies play in furthering them.

We need to have honest discussions across racial, ethnic and ideological lines, and to make sure they are conducted without rancor. All of us have a role to play in achieving reconciliation not just on matters of race but the many other issues that are causing such strife in our country.

As we remember King and his dream of an America in harmony, let us each consider whether we are serving the forces of unity or the forces of division. Do we regard all fellow Americans as our brothers and sisters, regardless of our disagreements? Or do we reject out of hand those who hold political opinions that differ from ours?

The choice belongs to each of us. Let’s pay tribute to King and his famous dream by working to bring it at least a bit closer to reality.

And let’s resolve to do whatever we can to avoid ever seeing a repeat of what America experienced last summer and in recent days. Such turmoil, whether it be related to race, politics or some combination of factors, is a sign that we’ve still fallen short of our nation’s creed of freedom, equality, justice and humanity.

All of us have a role to play in achieving reconciliation not just on matters of race but the many other issues that are causing such strife in our country.