Building Our Dream Together: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

January 2019 would have marked Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th birthday. King left this world tragically far too early when he was assassinated, but his legacy continues to have far-reaching effects on the trajectory of this nation. The issues we face today related to diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Martin Luther King Jr’s Dream and his Beloved Community. It’s important to honor his ideas and place them in the context of the future of business.

Though most people have a sense of who Martin Luther King Jr. was, they may be unfamiliar with the fact that he was highly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his principle of non-violent social change. King incorporated Gandhi’s non-violent philosophy and his acceptance of his adversities into his concept of The Beloved Community. For King, the end goal was a nation and world in which people would judge each other solely based on their character. A world in which there was no racism or intolerance to difference. While it may sound utopian, King recognized that humans suffer and are inclined to conflicts. But he pushed for what he called reconciliation. In other words, even those who are at odds with each other could, through non-violent approaches, recognize their commonality and find ways to work together in the end.

What King imagined for the U.S. and the world in terms of this Beloved Community is admirable and truly awe-inspiring! I think these principles are what businesses should be aiming for in their approach to increasing diversity and inclusion. While there have been great gains since the Civil Rights movement occurred during MLK Jr.’s life, we are far from reaching the end goal of King’s, and our, dream. I believe it’s our responsibility to complete the tasks of building a society that is based on equality and inclusivity. In fact, I feel that we should extend his philosophy by asking ourselves, what kind of a world do we want to live in?

While ultimately individuals must make the changes they wish to see in the world, businesses have to create the structures in which individuals can do so. In order to help continue building the dream, businesses can do the following:

·        Hire for potential: Make certain that we are hiring people from all backgrounds, with the focus on helping them develop skills to reach their potential.

·        Address Bias: Businesses should hire without prejudgment. Not everyone has equal access to wealth or education, but they should be given the chance to prove themselves.

·        Recognize Each Person’s Humanity: Everyone should be able to build a decent and successful life for themselves. Businesses should have initiatives to enable individuals who might not have credentials to gain the training and support they require to succeed.

·        Address Workforce Gaps: We can create initiatives that address gender and racial gaps in the workplace, and support the inclusion of women and minorities in fields that they do not traditionally dominate.

·        Embrace Differences: Businesses can make certain that they create a culture that embraces difference. We need to be open to people who have different ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives from the ones we are comfortable with. Businesses need to recognize the importance of having teams comprised of individuals with a wide range of life experiences because these differences strengthen us.   

Martin Luther King Jr. called our attention to discrimination and racial injustice when he said: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Taking this further, in 2019 we need to imagine a world in which we have moved beyond judging people. We need to move past judgment, past prejudice, and blame. When we embrace a non-judgmental approach, we can find our inner calling and access the paths we are meant to walk. Only then will we be able to walk those paths with true courage and inner strength. Businesses can help pave the way by creating a culture that enables their employees to imagine a future in which this nonjudgmental approach is reality. 

If businesses give people the opportunity and the support they need to thrive, we will build a more just and equal society. This is the society that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of in his famous I Have a Dream speech. This dream is our dream to build together. In continuing King’s efforts, we will create a stronger nation and a better world to live in for all.