He Had a Dream
And it wasn't for white Iowans to congratulate themselves for celebrating his birthday.
When I learned that my city and county hold an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, I felt an optimism that I hadn’t in a while. It’s been years since I’ve been in community with folks celebrating Dr. King Jr in a real, actionable way. In undergrad, I participated in a few events on this holiday as well as throughout the year.
After finding a seat in the nearly full city hall auditorium tonight, I had hope. I felt a little alignment with the man walking around and saying, “I only expected three or four people to show up!” His (stated) reasoning was the cold weather. I will admit it’s painfully frigid here.
I myself thought that a lot of folks wouldn’t show up because our county population is roughly 90 percent white — and I know that a lot of white people (people who look like me) are uncomfortable with Black people in general. And this event was held to celebrate a Black man who led the American Civil Rights Movement… so no, I didn’t expect a large crowd.
I was proven wrong in that. I still had hope.
But as the program went on, the lack of saying “junior” when stating Martin Luther King Jr’s name combined with the frequent (and I mean frequent) acknowledgement that our city and county are doing so well in terms of combating racism, well, that hope turned into something else.
Part of me thought, “I should have expected this. The city police are the ones serving free hot chocolate in the doorways of the back of the auditorium, with their guns on their hips.”
The other parts of me? They thought so much more, including the following.
White people don’t get to sit in an auditorium at City Hall, celebrate that their kids sang on stage (then disrupt the one good speech as they clamor through the aisles exclaiming that they did so well, over and over), take their hot chocolate, and forget about Black lives tomorrow.
We can’t do this. We can’t say we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr while continuously emphasizing that only love will defeat what remains of racism and discrimination. [Note: a few folks said there’s not much of any of that left. They are wrong.]
Throughout today, I looked at what Black people are saying. Y’all are who I learn and unlearn from most regarding your lives — because, damn, they are your lives.
One Black woman I follow on Instagram posted this text in an image:
I woke up pissed this morning.
Pissed for the impact of the civil rights movement and the intergenerational trauma that occurred due to white supremacy.
Pissed that MLK Jr. Day is now seen as a prop to spiritually bypass the effects of racism and racial torture.
Pissed that Black women in higher ed are DYING due to systemic injustice.
Pissed that Black trans folks aren’t given the same care and recognition, even in our LGBTQ communities.
[Kayla, she/her, at questionkayla28 on Instagram]
And you know what, I’m sorry. I am sorry that Black people have to continue to endure intergenerational trauma because of white supremacy that runs rampant. I am sorry that white people use performative “justice” as a means to say that we are doing the work. I am sorry that Black women are dying while trying to educate, just trying to help folks learn and unlearn. I am sorry that Black trans folks are dying while being themselves.
I am sorry that, in so many places and for so many of you, it’s seen as a crime to be Black.
As a white woman, I know that I am part of the problem because that’s how systemic injustices work. I do not get to — and I will not — remove myself from the group that continues to practice injustices as that in itself is not just. I will continue to learn and unlearn, and I will continue to give what I can to help every Black person celebrate Black joy, be safe, and live their lives.
I encourage each of you to get uncomfortable. Learn and unlearn. Have hard conversations. Do the real work. Stop performing.