Most Americans know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his nonviolent leadership during the civil rights movement as he advocated for and made influential progress in racial equality. King’s speeches and letters are taught in schools throughout the country, and the U.S. has celebrated King’s life on the third Monday of January each year since 1986. Each year, Americans are reminded that although King’s life was unjustly taken April 4, 1968, his presence and advocacy live on as people continue to fight for a future he would be proud of.
It is necessary to reflect on MLK Day to start or continue to do good in one’s community, especially during a time of political polarization and extremism grows and worsens across the nation. In an article about President Donald Trump’s Inauguration, The Washington Post compared King and Trump. Trump was labeled as a “firebrand president who used divisiveness for political gain” while King was described as the opposite — “a civil rights icon” who wanted to unite people regardless of their backgrounds.
In honor of King, it is crucial to find hope against the hate which persists during Trump’s second inauguration. What is often unattributed to King in schools and mainstream media is his radicalism, which is where people may find ways to advocate for people in the U.S. and globally who are actively facing political violence and oppression.
According to the African American Intellectual History Society, King did not shy away from associating himself with radical ideas of the time such as a “broad-based economic rights agenda” and the desire to end the Vietnam War. King’s radicalism is another reminder to continue advocating for human rights through public service and a powerful voice.
According to the AAIHS, King also often centralized the importance of history and its context during speeches, reminding listeners that the past impacts the present and, therefore, the civil rights movement at the time. History reminds people to call out injustice when they see it because the injustice of the past is likely to be repeated by prejudiced political officials seeking to politically and socially divide the public. MLK Day is a time to reflect on history and look toward a better tomorrow.
Monday marked the third time in history that Inauguration Day and MLK Day were celebrated on the same day. In a column by USA Today, Suzette Hackney interviewed King’s son, Martin Luther King III, a prominent civil rights leader, about Trump’s inauguration and MLK Day falling on the same day. During the interview, King encouraged public service as a means of unity.
At his last speech at Howard University Nov. 9, 1966, King delivered the Gandhi Memorial Lecture. One part of King’s speech in particular seems to stress what is happening today among political leaders who blame and polarize instead of help and unite: “It seems to be a fact of life that human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually reaching out for some thin rationalization that clothes an obvious wrong in the beautiful garments of righteousness.”
To celebrate and honor King daily, commit to calling out injustice and lies while serving friends, family, community members and strangers, and do not give into hatred and intolerance.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Cruz, Managing Editor Madalyn Blair and Equity Director McKenna Christy. The Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
