Today our nation pauses to reflect on a dreamer, the prolific Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As many news outlets will only focus on the highlights of King’s dream, I think it is important to expand the scope of his dream and remember his commitment to economic justice.
At the time of his death, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was in the process of implementing the “Poor People’s Campaign” that would be second phase to the civil rights movement and provide an “economic bill of rights” by helping the poor with full employment, payment of living wages, and access to adequate and low-income housing.
Where are the dreamers? Where are the individuals who believe that poverty can be conquered and opportunity exist for all who seek it? Where are the dreamers who in the face of disparities and inequities maintain faith during the fight? Where are the dreamers who are stay focused on the greater good? Will our dreams ever come true?
King’s dream was a vision of justice, freedom, prosperity, and equality for all. Forty three years later his dream is still rooted in discovering real solutions on how to combat poverty and systemic economic injustice. We can all play a significant part in honoring King’s dream by using our collective influence to halt the downward spiral in our community.
Income inequality in the United States continues to demand our attention and social action. In communities of color, economic inequities are real and often institutionalized. This income inequality is a root cause of the entrapped effects of poverty such as pain and hopelessness. So when I am asked if King’s vision still relevant, I say yes it is even more relevant today than it was in the 1963 March on Washington.
We at the Minneapolis are keeping the dream alive. We are dreaming of a Minneapolis that delivers on the promise of a world class city with opportunities for all. We are dreaming of partnerships and collaborations that together can eradicate disparities. We are dreaming of a day that everyone who comes through our doors with a dream finds a gateway to opportunity.
On this Martin Luther King Day, let’s dare to be a dreamer and champion a new vision for our community. Status quo is not getting it done. I am often asked what one dreamer can do. One dreamer can care. One dreamer can transform people and places. One dreamer can speak up and speak out. One dreamer can take action. One dreamer can create solution. One dreamer can help one other person. One dreamer can never give up and change the world.
