From the Desk of Robert Wallace: Reflecting on MLK Day 2021

I had a talk with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this morning (in my imagination).  I wanted to update him on the state of our nation in 2021.  As I briefed him on current events, Dr. King shook his head in utter disbelief. He could not believe what he was hearing – mob violence still being used to control people of color and to undue the results of a democratic election, a Republican party that is more dedicated to a deranged man than to the principles of the constitution, a pandemic that has exacerbated the institutional inequalities that black and brown Americans still suffer from, and the accelerating disparity in wealth between the haves and the have nots.

What are we to do?

As we celebrate another MLK Day, Dr. King, in my imagination, was quick to remind me of the three life assignments that everyone of goodwill in this nation and throughout the world should complete, if we are to maintain any chance of fulfilling his dream. 

First, we must understand that despite all the changes and vicissitudes of life that God is still in control and retains all power.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. This fact should give us hope that despite the evil and hate that we confront, we will be victorious if we keep fighting and never give up. 

Second, we must remember that we are indeed our brother’s and sister’s keeper.  Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Do not let one act of hate, terror, or injustice go unpunished.  All it takes for evil people to prosper is for good people to be silent. 

Lastly, make a promise to God and to yourself that you will take your God given gifts and talents and perfect them every day that you live.  These gifts are the weapons that you will use throughout your remaining time on this earth to resist and ultimately defeat all the evil that comes upon you.  Don’t delay.  As I wrote in my book, Black Wealth, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and do it now!”

With the upcoming historic presidential inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris, be reminded of the greatness that remains inherent in the DNA of our great nation.  Our job now is to turn the talk of freedom and justice into the reality of freedom and justice.  Only then will we be able to identify and overcome the societal inertia to change that drove the insurrectionist mob to attack our capitol, instigate the loss of life, and put our democracy at risk.

This is the least that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would expect from us.  He told me (in my imagination) that he still believes in his dream. #MLKDAY2021 #MLK #theworldiswatching