Submitted by Kathy Lawler, Big I NY's AVP Communities & Relationships...
"Almost everything about this past year has been different, so as we honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today it is fitting to wonder what Dr. King would think if he were still alive today. My good friend Derrick Murry wrote the attached blog and I could not agree more. Please take a few minutes to read and reflect."
by Derrick L. Murry, MPH
Every year, Americans honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with marches, parades, and readings of his iconic “I Have a Dream" speech. And yet, society seems to be more interested in revering MLK, rather than applying the principles he lived his life by. We tend to focus on the deeds of fallen heroes instead of the messages they have left us.
Some of us will look at Martin Luther King day as just a day off from work. Others will use this day to help others. However, very few of us will take this time and ask, “What would Dr. King do if he were still alive today?"
Dr. King lost his life while supporting city sanitation workers organizing for a union for better wages and safe working conditions. Very few people speak about his work in favor of higher pay for the “working man" of his day. Even after all this time wages are still too low. Few people recall that Dr. King's esteem at the time of his death was steadily declining because of his disapproval of the Vietnam war. What would Dr. King say today about all the wars in which America is involved, openly or clandestinely?
Dr. King was preparing to lead a Poor People's March on Washington, D.C. at the time of his assassination. He was seeking to call for a radical redistribution of economic and political power. King wrote “…It is necessary for us to realize that we have moved from the era of civil rights to the era of human rights". He would not describe the discrepancies between paychecks as “poverty", but rather as “economic injustice." This too caused the political power structure of the time to disapprove of him. What would Dr. King have to say about the distance between the wealthiest 1% of Americans, as compared to all others today?
In his 1968 book, “Strength to Love," Dr. King says, “The ultimate measure of a man [or woman] is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." As a public health practitioner during a time of pandemic and political turbulence on Monday, January 18th, 2021, I will ask, myself what can I do to be more like Dr. King. Will I set aside political differences to see issues through another's perspective, will I wear a mask to protect my neighbor, and will I seek to understand others, more than seek to be understood? Dr. King gave his life for what he believed in. I believe that we as a community should take time to honor him, and care for our families, friends and neighbors on January 18th. Change starts with you, so please stay safe, and remember to wear a mask during these trying times.