My Thoughts on Martin Luther King Day, 2019.

My heart aches today, as it appears the world we live in has long since forgotten (if it ever even knew to begin with) the message of this great man, who fought vociferously for justice — against white supremacy, apartheid & segregation, US militarism & war, while never forgetting the humanity of those who marched with him on Washington and those who did not. “I have decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind’s problems…….hate is too great a burden to bear.” I don’t see anyone embodying the same essence of this message today, which is why Dr. King’s words and legacy resonates far greater today — in a time of heightened discordance and disunity. A time that must remind African-American heroes like Representative John Lewis who survived Jim Crow and marched shoulder-to-shoulder with King that this kind of ugliness is all too familiar.

It seems that the moral arc of the universe may not bend towards justice — it is an ever existing undercurrent that seems to tirelessly reign over women, religious minorities, people of color, lower castes, the LGBT community, the indigenous, the disabled, and oppressed peoples across the world.

Yet in midst of this darkness, I am heartened by those who —

…take a knee, even if it blacklists them

…stand up to a sexual assaulter in front of an entire nation, even if he goes on to the United States Supreme Court.

…beat a drum and sing a Native song of unity, even in face of young, white entitlement and privilege

And to those who marched from Selma to Montgomery, even in face of death.

And each of us alive today must actively be a part of this very cause — the cause of justice and liberation of all.

We shall overcome.

[Belated post — written on 1/21/19]