Black Supremacy is just as bad as white supremacy, and God is not interested merely in the freedom of black men [people], God is interested in the freedom of the whole human race and in the creation of a society where all men can live together as brothers. -The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sept. 5, 1960, in Greencastle, Indiana
Reflections on the MLK Holiday and March for Life 2023
The March for Life and The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday are bookmarks on America’s new calendar annually.
Let's consider, the passage of Roe v Wade, 410 U.S.113 (1973) sent issues of life back to the states for further deliberation; that is, the sanctity of life is more important than ever.
Unfortunately, during this recent holiday season, in the midst of these momentous days, there has been personal loss for this writer, as well as for many others.
Two of my sweet sisters — civil rights icon Cleo Orange and freedom fighter Diamond (of "Diamond & Silk") passed away.
They will be missed. May God comfort and heal all of us who mourn. ("Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," Matthew 5:4).
Only God knows what lies ahead for America.
One thing is certain going forward, we should all add more prayer to our daily agendas.
We must worship God first and foremost, then act accordingly.
Meanwhile, along with this MLK Holiday, Aug. 28, 2023 will mark 60 years since my uncle stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his famed "I Have a Dream."
An address bringing a divided nation to a standstill.
Spellbinding words which presented a vision of unity, peace, and most of all — hope.
Let’s be clear in a most clarion sense. The Martin Luther King, Jr. I knew and loved would be mortified at the current "Woke," and other extreme left, hate-filled and hurtful philosophies so many (who have little value for human life) hold and espouse today.
Dr. King would have prayer for enlightenment for those who would resist leveling the playing the field; those who hamper the achieved success and dignity of humanity.
My uncle desired unity and dignity for all of humanity, in the most benevolent and holiest of ways.
In "I Have a Dream" he declared, "when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir."
My uncle went on to declare this note was a promise "that all men — yes, Black people as well as white people — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
As I was growing up (while he was still alive) I witnessed firsthand how deeply my uncle truly believed in the promise of the American Dream.
His creed wasn't that our nation was irredeemably stained by racism and prejudice; instead, he laid out a vision where one people could come together under our shared values and pursue one American Dream.
It goes without saying, we've never fully reached this vision.
After all, truth is a concept which must be upheld, and a victory fought for, by and in every generation.
Martin Luther King's dream of a nation where people are not "judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" is closer than before.
Yet — there is still much arduous work which remains to be done.
We've made enormous progress in uniting behind one shared vision where values — not race — come first.
Thankfully, we are finally recognizing that the concept and narrative of separate races is false. It’s a spiritual and scientific fact that humanity is one blood/one human race.
Acts 17:26 is evidence that this is so, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."
However, let's not become complacent, forgetting that so much of the progress we've made has actually been undergoing a stark rolling back.
It's horrifying to consider that the American Dream is becoming impossible for so many.
The Biden administration has abandoned the policies which led us to spectacular growth.
Instead, Team Biden instead policies bringing us ever-burgeoning inflation and unemployment.
Concurrently, we suffer with skyrocketing gas prices, a crisis at the southern border, increasingly out-of-reach homeownership, failing public schools, and an abortion radicalism disproportionately targeting minority communities.
Yet, we needn’t look far to see what policies can really benefit our communities.
For example, under the Trump administration, we had a leader who put the uplifting of forgotten communities first, coupled with a policy platform that delivered.
From new investments into impoverished communities through Opportunity Zones, to the First Step Act’s historic criminal justice reform, to record-lows for unemployment for minority groups, to increased funding for Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) — and embracing school choice — we saw agendas which actually worked.
America! They can work for us again!
This embrace of freedom, and the ability for each and every individual to pursue the American Dream, is the sort of vision that can both deliver for the Black community and unite the entire nation.
At the forefront of this writer's mind (always) is the unwavering belief that when we unite as one people behind a shared understanding, there is no room left — anywhere; or any place — for prejudice.
At the end of the day, let’s embrace the truth Christ has given us victory over evil.
Let us also never forget, our nation can never be strong, great, or independent when it fails to uphold the dignity of all God’s children, from birth to death.
It's up to each and every one of us to stand up, fight for what’s right, and defend what we love and believe.
This is the blueprint for making the American Dream, and Dr. King's Dream, accessible to each and every citizen today.
It is this very same vision we so desperately need from our leadership as well.
It is then, and only then, we can loudly declare, without the slightest hesitation, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last."
Alveda C. King, Ph.D., is chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for the American Dream. She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and the niece of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She is founder of Speak for Life, and Alveda King Ministries (www.alvedaking.com). Dr. King is also an acclaimed author, television host and contributor. She was twice elected to the Georgia State House, and has been a presidential appointee, as well as recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Read More Read — Here.
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