Beyond the MLK Holiday: Chaos or Community? - Opinion Piece

Jan 15, 2022 01:00PM ● By Karen Warrington

Rev. Martin Luther King, head-and-shoulders portrait, seated, facing front, hands extended upward, during a press conference / World Telegram & Sun photo by Dick DeMarsico. Source: Wikimedia Commons

On January 15th we will gather throughout the nation to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. Politicians, preachers, and civic and corporate leaders will make speeches about him leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott, founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and delivering his soaring “I Have A Dream” speech at the historic 1963 March on Washington. They will stress that he was a Southern-born Baptist minister, a civil rights leader committed to non-violence who changed America and that he was the 1964 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

In addition to the formal events on this 2022 MLK birthday celebration, commercialism will be on display. Shoppers in search of MLK sales at suburban malls will have the opportunity to experience gospel choir performances, and car dealers, insurance companies, and media outlets will feature ads commemorating Dr. King.

However, commercial or not, the nation’s recognition and pomp and circumstance of the day are deserved. It is important that in the midst of the national celebration of his life we don’t allow it to dim the memory of the photo at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King lay dying on the balcony after being shot by an assassin in Memphis in 1968. And, we must remember he was killed by someone who was determined to use violence to silence the voice of a Black man dedicated to non-violence and who was seeking equality.

Also on this year’s day of commemoration, hopefully, we will not forget the question Dr. King directed to us, the beloved community, in his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?. Written in 1967, Dr. King proffered, “We are now faced with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity… This may well be mankind’s last chance to choose between chaos or community.”

Written by Dr. King 55 years ago, these words feel as though the ink has not yet dried. How do we answer?

Karen Warrington has had a decades long career as a broadcast journalist, communications professional, performing artist, and documentary filmmaker. She has traveled extensively throughout Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. She is committed to being a voice for the African Diaspora.