King’s message has resonance for all of us

This week the nation observes the 95th birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Though he was taken from us far too soon, his words and example continue to reverberate more than a half-century after his assassination.

Children still learn about American ideals from King’s most famous oration, his 1963 address before a civil rights march in Washington. In some important respects, the dream he described that day has come true. Enforced segregation is a thing of the past. People of differing races are far more likely to interact as equals now than they were five decades ago. Our nation has made great strides toward eradicating racial injustice. And the legacy of King, once a controversial figure, now is embraced by people across the political spectrum.

For all its successes, our nation still has a long way to go. Racial inequality remains a serious problem, and in recent years too many have become comfortable publicly expressing racist attitudes in a manner that would have been unthinkable not long ago.

And we’re still dealing with the aftermath of the racial tension and strife that gripped the nation in 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. It’s hard to imagine anyone describing today’s America as the “beautiful symphony of brotherhood” King envisioned as he spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

But a look back at King’s time reminds us that stark divisions in America are hardly new. As bad as things are now, they don’t quite compare to the battles that raged in the 1960s and ‘70s over civil rights and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

King played an important role in trying to bridge some of the gaps dividing America during his time. He forced many Americans to finally face up to the injustices they had allowed to fester for so long and to finally conclude that it was finally time to right them. This did not bring about an end to the conflicts, but eventually it did lead to progress.

Today America desperately needs leaders who are able to appeal to the consciences of people across racial, ethnic or ideological boundaries. Too many politicians and others are content to aim their messages at like-minded individuals without any serious or effective attempt at persuading others to their cause. Some use inspiring outrage in their opponents as a political tool in itself. They see deeper division as an advantage.

There is no doubt that these issues will come into play in what is sure to be a particularly bitter and contentious presidential election campaign this year.

But it’s too easy to lay all the blame at the feat of politicians, media figures and others who get to drive the national debate by using their powerful platforms. All of us have a role to play in determining whether we move in a more positive direction or continue in the spiral of negativity that has gripped this country.

It’s certainly appropriate to come out to one of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day events commemorating the late activist’s life and work, but being a witness to such activities is not enough.

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?

King often spoke of how our destinies are interconnected. When people to seek to knock down others, it hurts themsselves in the long run.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” he wrote in his April 1963 letter from a jail in Birmingham, Ala., where he was held for violating a local dictate against protest marches. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

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.

As the great man wrote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”