The library is closed today in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Leave it to the government to celebrate a man they told to commit suicide by taking a day off. Most years, the holiday doesn't even fall on his actual birthday because government goons want their 3-day weekends. It's quite perverse, really.
I have conflicted opinions regarding the man himself. His detractors point to myriad personal moral failings and argue he was a closet communist. Regarding the moral failings, we're all imperfect humans. People can be brilliant thinkers and orators while succumbing to innumerable temptations, but those sins do not discredit the ideas themselves. As for accusations of communism, I don't think I can fault a man whose entire culture has been oppressed by the "capitalist" oligarchy of the United States for looking into the opposite side of the false dichotomy presented in his day.
Regarding his speeches and writings, the I have a Dream speech of August 28th, 1963 is doubtless the most famous.
Since then, de jure segregation has ended, but in its place, we have a perverse blend of systemic de facto segregation under the guise of social welfare and housing programs. Drug prohibition laws still disproportionately impact minorities. Accusations of voter suppression cloud every election, and polling places are said to be scarce in these communities. Meanwhile, instead of forging unity, we see divisions wedged open by politics. Progress has been made, but the political system is still stained by naked prejudice on top of its inherent corruption.
Personally, I am most intrigued by the Letter from Birmingham Jail, dated 16 April, 1963.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was “well timed” in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
On one hand, I admire MLK's commitment to non-violent activism, his rhetorical skill, and his principles. On the other hand, his image has been co-opted by his oppressors and today's holiday seems to serve as a substitute for real progress. I am not surprised Malcolm X and his brand of militant activism are not similarly celebrated. Does it present too much of a real challenge to the State?
As an anarchist, I am uncertain how to weigh MLK's civil disobedience aimed at persuading an illegitimate government to offer concessions. Does it legitimize the system, or compel it to bend slightly back toward respecting individual rights? I certainly admire his advocacy for responsibility as a member of society, in contrast to today's "activists" who demand political plunder for their benefit, as demonstrated in his speech, "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?"
I grew up in a very white rural midwestern community, but did not see any explicit racism. As a child, I only saw black people on television, either The Cosby Show, or news reports about sports. I was never taught to look down on people because they looked different. That is real progress compared to the Jim Crow era. The black community is not widely oppressed, although racism is still a common political accusation. I once lived in Sandpoint, Idaho, when the region was known as a hotbed of racism, particularly through the Aryan Nations. I have met very few who actually asserted those of African ancestry are subhuman, though.
I believe the government, not societal pressure, is largely responsible for what conflict remains. Today, we see government substituting a holiday for real reform, because government is about power, not justice, at the core. Lingering racial and cultural conflicts are part of a divide-and conquer strategy in the game of partisan politics, not a problem to be addressed and eliminated. There need not be a conspiracy at play, just an intersection of incentives toward more central power over everyone, regardless of color. As such, I find the portrayals of MLK with flags and association with a government holiday utterly perverse.
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How do you respond to the holiday? Is MLK's legacy promoted or subverted by the pageantry? Is my analysis relevant, or just ignorant rural white male hubris? Please comment with your perspectives!
