By D. L. White
If he was alive today, Dr. King would have celebrated his 95th birthday on January 15.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, Dr. King were he alive today, would absolutely still make appearances and speak truth to power as it relates to the injustices being waged against his people in particular and all disenfranchised people in general, if his health allowed.
Dr. King’s impact in the short time he was active and alive on this earth was quite impactful, what would or could he have achieved if he had the lived into the golden years of his life?
A man of peace, a man who preached the promise of a better tomorrow, a man that knew and experienced the immense pressure of a divided society as well as explicit racism at its most fervent level, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, more than anything was a man of great faith.
It was that faith that sustained Dr. King during the tumultuous Civil Rights battles of the 50s including the Montgomery Bus Boycott; Encounters with racist Jim Crow State Troopers and Sheriff Bull Conner as well as then separatist Alabama Governor George Wallace.
Dr. King and those of his era defeated Jim Crow in the Courts and on the moral battlefield as well. Utilizing Civil disobedience, patience and a determination unseen at the time, a shift in America’s conscience soon began.
Through their persistence even racist Bull Conner and the Alabama State Troopers had to tip their hats to Dr. King and the members of the Civil Rights campaigns throughout the South.
Eloquent and loquacious, Dr. King prophesied on April 3, 1968, the night before he was killed, “I just want to do God’s will, He has allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I might not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”
America is again facing difficult times, the majority of which have been self-inflicted by a callous and often unrelenting GOP that neither want to compromise nor work through difficult issues that impact all Americans.
The recent Iowa Caucuses’ demonstrated that America is in trouble and indeed in need of Dr. King’s wisdom and guidance, as former President Donald J. Troop, with only (15 percent of the voting bloc turning out, took a majority of the vote despite facing possible prosecution in (4) courts for Fraud, Election interference and even Insurrection.
This begs the double question what was that small percentage of Iowa voters thinking and, “Could Dr. King’s influence have caused the GOP the racist and divisive message o Trump to have been altered?
Could a 95 year-old old Dr. King who had traveled extensively during his prime and no doubt continued to travel domestically as well as internationally have impacted the unrest and war in the Middle East? Could he have reasoned with Iran, Russia or North Korea?
The immediate response is of course Dr. King could and would have attempted to work with world leaders and the Republican Party in the halls of justice. He would have been utterly upset and even embarrassed by the actions of the January 6 insurrectionist.
Dr. King would have attempted to meet and confer, with the Freedom Caucus the ultra conservative group that appear to be about stalling and blocking legislation instead of working for positive resolves.
Dr. King in his infinite wisdom would have challenged the GOP leadership by suggesting, “Courage faces fear and thereby masters it. Cowardice represses fear and is thereby mastered by it. Courageous men never lose the zest for living even though their life situation is zestless.
“We must constantly build dykes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
A challenge no doubt. However Dr. King even at 95 would welcome the challenge and would have been up to going the distance all the while keeping his eyes on the prize.
“Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr would have said. Now is the time.
Notable: The Iowa Caucuses’ with only a small percentage of the vote (15%) turning out in one of the least diverse states in the Union still sends an alarm. Trump (not the Republican Party) is in charge of what was once the GOP. Democracy is being threatened yet again. The answer and response must be clear and succinct – Trump has been defeated (fairly and honestly) at the Polls before. Come the first Tuesday in November, 2024, it will be time to do it again!! Register and by all means VOTE!
D.L. White is the author of Discovering The SAUNK In U and The Sensational Letter S!
