MLK‘s legacy: An imperative to serve beyond today
Every year on Martin Luther King Day, numerous speeches building on the civil rights leader’s “I Have a Dream” address are delivered with promises of carrying on MLK’s vision and scores take part in a “Day of Service”. The next day, everyone goes back to business as usual.
To really honor King, who lost his life nearly 55 years ago fighting for an America whose actions often belie its promise, we owe it to him to keep his message with us 365 days a year, not just the day of the national holiday in his honor.
Corporations and governments need to do more than host annual community service projects, they need to drive investment into communities that need it most— where generations have suffered from systemic failures.
The list goes on. There’s no doubt there has been progress since King delivered his 1963 March on Washington speech. But the problems of systemic racism and a lack of opportunity still exist, and for too many are still the norm. It’s important to honor Martin Luther King and his legacy for a day every year. But it’s imperative his spirit guide us throughout the year.
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That means corporations and governments deploying capital more equitably, whether it’s providing good-paying jobs, suitable housing, or accessible mass transit. It means actually listening to the communities that have been most impacted. It means actually making them partners.
Martin Luther King, Jr. left a legacy of activism and hope. It’s time to end token gestures. It’s time for a transformational realization of his dream.
Original blog published on Jan. 17, 2022. View here.