Breaking from the script – remembering Martin Luther King’s dream

57 years ago this month, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered what became one of history’s most iconic speeches. The “I Have a Dream” speech called for civil and economic rights for the Black community, and an end to racism.

His words continue to ring uncomfortably true today.

While we’ve made progress in creating a more inclusive society, broadly speaking and in the words of Dr. King himself, “we are not satisfied”. And we can’t be satisfied while our colleagues and friends are being affected daily by the effects of systemic racism, which is damaging on many levels to the Black community – and diminishes all of us. As we continue to see anti-Black systemic racism and brutality persist despite the progress made, the heartbreak, grief and anger we feel is all too familiar and it’s important that we acknowledge it and find ways to channel these same emotions into creating real change.

There’s a lot we can learn about the importance of embracing change from how Dr. King’s speech came to be. The speech was written prior to the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, but on the encouragement of fellow civil rights activist and singer, Mahalia Jackson, he went off-script, spoke from the heart, and improvised some of the most memorable and relatable lines that we know so well:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

As we recognize the anniversary of this very timely message, we too need to break from the script and understand that we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing and expect things to change. Recently, I’ve been encouraged by the conversations I’ve had within the business community, with friends and family, and with the CIBC team discussing the role privilege plays in our society as well as the real impact of unconscious bias. These shared experiences, both personal and professional, offer a lens into how pervasive racism is while also creating an urgency to take action.

Perhaps most importantly, I’m finding more people are understanding that progress begins with listening to one another and in realizing that inclusion benefits us all. Taking concrete steps to create a more inclusive society is our responsibility now more than ever, and we can start by getting educated on the issue – a good place to start is with tools like this one from Catalyst.

The fact that it’s been 57 years since Dr. King’s speech is a reminder that it’s already taken far too long to confront the very real issue of systemic racism. Now is the time for change and we all have a role to play. Let’s follow Dr. King’s lead – break from the script, raise our voices and take personal responsibility for making change happen.

Victor