Justice Is A Verb!
©Wendell
Griffen, 2018
As people across the world
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. today, the feature editorial in today's issue of the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette newspaper chose to eulogize Dr. King rather than criticize
injustice as he did. The editorial can be found at the link posted above. It
focuses on Dr. King's prophetic Letter From Birmingham City Jail response to
white moderate religionists in Birmingham who criticized Dr. King's presence
and direct nonviolent civil disobedience challenges to racial segregation in
Birmingham, Alabama. The editorial author chose to use the 50th
anniversary of Dr. King's assassination to applaud Dr. King's eloquence and
clarity in that letter penned from a jail cell.
Some observers will consider the
editorial a fitting, if not flattering commentary. However, that is neither
fair nor fitting to Dr. King's memory and ministry. Martin Luther King, Jr. did
not die on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee because he penned the eloquent
Letter From Birmingham City Jail in 1963. He was slain because he insisted and
persisted in confronting the United States about its flagrant hypocrisy about
and damning dedication to injustice. The Democrat-Gazette editorial dodged that
subject, as if King's greatest contribution to humanity was being an eloquent
scrivener. Dr. King's death should not be dismissed by flowery words
about his eloquence, erudition, and rhetorical competence.
Fifty years after Dr. King was
murdered, the giant evils of racism, militarism, and capitalist materialism he
challenged with increasing alarm and anger during his last years should not be
disregarded and discounted by resorting to eulogy. Respect for Dr. King's life
and the way he died deserves much more than pleasant words about his skill as a
communicator.
Fifty years after April 4, 1968,
black, brown, red, and poor white people are routinely being slain by law
enforcement agents in the US.
Immigrants are being mistreated.
Women and girls are being assaulted
and subjected to other unfairness.
Voting rights are being undermined.
The air, water, and soil are being
poisoned.
US war-making continues 50 years
after the assassination of the prophet who courageously insisted that
war-making is a human rights issue.
Fifty years after Dr. King was
murdered in Memphis, workers are still being exploited in Memphis, Tennessee,
Little Rock, Arkansas, Dallas, Texas, and elsewhere across the US.
Fifty years after Dr. King was
slain, religionists of all stripes are still more interested in civic
ceremonies than social justice.
Fifty years after Dr. King's voice
was silenced, we should not be deceived when people eulogize Dr. King after
they spent the last half century working against social justice. We
should not accept shallow sentimentality as a substitute for societal repentance
and a fierce insistence on doing justice.
Dr. King's memory and ministry
deserve much more than sentimental eulogies from us. Justice is a verb,
not a platitude.
Wendell Griffen
Author, The Fierce Urgency of Prophetic Hope
Written from Memphis, TN
Hope
Fiercely! Love Boldly!
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