Straight from the Mike…What About MLK’s Birthday Celebration?

As we move further into the middle of another decade, this January marks a special time featuring a significant birthday with several noteworthy Founders’ Day celebrations and remembrances.

At the two top spots for me are the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday along with the Founders’ Day of my illustrious fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (Jan. 9). Additionally, there are four other significant Founders’ Day of prestigious sororities and fraternities that are also celebrated this month. Of course, my favorite is my official sister organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Jan. 16), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Jan. 13), Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (Jan. 15) and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (Jan.5). The common thread that knits us all together is one word – Service. We share a commitment to humanity with a better world for all.

As Dr. King and the founders of our respective sororities and fraternities look down from above, they surely must be concerned with what they see today.

The vision of Dr. King’s ‘Beloved Community’ remains elusive and a prize we must continue trying to seize. We have too many members of our community with angst and uneasiness about their immediate future. In too many instances, their elected representatives have not delivered on the promises of better days ahead.

The public policies necessary to properly seed fertile ground with the right fertilizer have yet to be sown. That desired harvest of hope is on the verge of being a failed crop. The aforementioned esteemed leader and organization stalwarts surely must find it difficult to believe that situations like food insecurity are still so prevalent. The search for healthy, wholesome, and affordable living conditions continues for too many families.

A family seeking such conditions starts each day wondering if things will soon change. Student transiency continues going in a troubling direction. Homelessness is still tolerated and remains too common in our public space. Moreover, I do not believe our past stalwarts could have imagined the need for legislation to ensure ‘decent’ living conditions for working class families and individuals. The misery index is on the rise and after our notable celebrations and MLK Day observances, these conditions merit attention.

I believe Dr. King fully expected us to have these issues solved by now. He expected our veterans to be uplifted, housed and as hopeful as possible. He expected no one to be subjected to the frigid temperatures overnight without nearby safe harbors with warm conditions. He expected our current leaders to keep the ‘dream’ torch lit and glowing for all who desire to be the best they can be. He expected no one to be left out at the banquet table of life. As A. Phillip Randolph, founder of the Pullman Car Porters’ Union, put it, “At the banquet table of life, there are no reserve seats. You keep what you can hold and hold what you can keep.”

It is critically important for those of us that fully embrace Dr. King’s dream that we remain steadfast and double down on the pedal to keep our reach beyond our grasp. There are so many opportunities to do what needs to be done to ensure brighter days ahead for our community.

Hopefully, you had the opportunity to do your day of service. It was comforting to see so many community stakeholders engaged with ideals that Dr. King exhibited. He was not a man that took anything for granted nor did he accept empty wishes and rhetoric. He demanded action and he wanted it for the right reasons and for the greater good.

Having been fortunate in celebrating many previous MLK holiday celebrations, I remain inspired and excited about the possibilities of what can happen when people of like minds come together with purpose, commitment, energy, and vision.

As we reflect upon Dr. King’s contribution to our society, let us keep in mind we still have time to get it right. The beloved community can be attained to such an extent that despair is rare, and self-esteem becomes contagious. We will all be the better for it, without a doubt. No mountain is too high, nor any road too rugged to navigate together. It’s up to us. I can still hear that voice from the mountaintop. Keep the dream alive.

Happy Birthday Dr. King. Best wishes to the members of the organizations celebrating their Founders’ Day this month.