"It's not OK to slip into flat memory of who Dr. King was, it does no justice to us and makes him to easy to appropriate," [Melissa Harris-Lacewell] said. "Every time he gets appropriated, we have to come out and say that's not OK. We do have the ability to speak back."I sat for a moment after writing the intro entry of my blog, and came across this article about Martin Luther King, Jr. And I thought to myself, what an obvious, cliche, yet also very appropriate topic. Several thoughts come up simply from hearing his name. They are:
1) My relation to blackness, freedom for black folks, and the related movements.
2) The image of MLK that has been created an maintained in mainstream media, history, politics, and education.
3) The question of, why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and not Civil Rights Day?
I'll stick with those for this entry.
1) Reading about Blackness, Black struggle, and issues pertaining to Black people has been something I have always taken joy in. I'm not Black. However, much of education in terms of histories of otherness tend to cater to the black versus white theme that tends to leave out other non-white peoples. Yet from what I have learned about struggles of Black folks, there are countless similarities I have been able to see with histories of my ancestors and me. Colonialism, slavery, genocide, rape, Westernization are all struggles that I know that peoples indigenous to the Americas have gone through. And in today's world, we still share many connected struggles and still do not unite against on a massive scale. The point is, I find powerful inspiration from Black people and leaders because our struggles are connected. And even if they ever weren't as I once believed when I was younger, I've always believed Black folks deserve justice.
2) After reading brief histories of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, I noticed that it is harshly unfair to the many Black folks of the era who struggled for justice to have two highly publicized leaders be potrayed in such polarizing ways. Malcolm X seems to be forever the fiery radical separatist. Martin Luther King Jr. is potrayed as the reformist. I bring up Malcolm X because it is unfair and just as dangerous to have either of these men seen in such an unchanging way. Martin Luther King Jr. grew more radical in the time that led up to his assassination. Malcom X grew to disassociate himself with the separatism he once stood for. I think we have to know these things because people change. Ideas and feelings change. To not allow for the chance of change is to deny someone's humanity.
3) This one has been bugging me for years: Why MLK Jr. Day and not Civil Rights Day? Why do we celebrate the man and not the community from which he drew so much strength? The great (romanticized) movements of the 60's and 70's within the United States were about the people, not about the individuals. And though they were by no means perfect, they did create much for folks to build on today. For all the talk I have heard from folks who critique individualism in the United States, I have yet to hear this critique from someone else. Why MLK Jr. Day and not Civil Rights Day? Why Cesar E. Chavez Day and not Workers Rights Day? I find it important to think about how limiting a recognition of only one Black man can be when the movement he was involved in was about freedom for many peoples (if not all peoples).
Another year, another MLK Jr. Day. I find myself reflecting on the many shoulders I am standing on to be where I am today: healthy, in school, at a computer, thinking about freedom means to me. I am grateful to all folks who had any part to play in the Civil Rights Movement. La lucha sigue / The struggle continues. This could take me into a rant about the way the Civil Rights Movment is now being used by racists to assert that racism does not exist, but that is for another day. Till next time, take care, everyone.
