I'm going to share an excerpt from Dr. King's "Give Us the Ballot" speech in 1957. I want you to read it. And truly let it sink in. Then remember it next time someone says that our movement for justice needs to slow down, or be quiet, or wait our turn.
"There is a dire need today for a liberalism which is truly liberal. What we are witnessing today [...] is a sort of quasi-liberalism which is based on the principle of looking sympathetically at all sides...
"It is a liberalism so bent on seeing all sides, that it fails to become committed to either side. It is a liberalism that is so objectively analytical that it is not subjectively committed. It is a liberalism which is neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm...
"We call for a liberalism [...] which will be thoroughly committed to the ideal of racial justice and will not be deterred by the propaganda and subtle words of those who say: ‘Slow up for a while; you’re pushing too fast.’”
This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day feels different. Voting rights. Teaching the truth about our history. The treatment of Black migrants at our border. The lack of action on ending police violence. His legacy is being taken for granted.