Today, April 4, 2023 marks the 55th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee.
Though his life was cut short, the dream that he and our King Family fought for continues to grow today.
Let us remind ourselves that the task before us is far from complete.
Equal access and opportunity for all must remain the call of our time.
This writer is always excited about the first quarter of every new year.
Yet, annually, while as humankind, we commence each year with new high hopes and many dreams, it's more often than not hard to move ahead with unfinished business tugging at both your heart and mind.
As 2023 unfolds, I continue to pray for victory: as in faith over fear, love and forgiveness over resentment, cherishing life over the taking of it for granted.
In all aspects of life, from birth to death, and beyond.
While March 31, 2023 was the last day of the year’s first quarter, so much has happened already!
January gave us the first March for Life following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). As we do each year, we were privileged, as a nation to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
We now are equally priveleged to look forward to what will be the 60th anniversary of Dr. King's globally famous address: "I Have a Dream!" (Aug. 28, 1963).
However, for many reasons, January is always a bittersweet time of year for me.
February was a time of mixed blessings.
Although there have been victories, for many of us, loved ones have passed away in the aftermath of COVID-19, and senseless acts sill conjoin with fear and violence.
And yet, all is not lost.
Among other things, in many ways, in February, Black History Month was broadly observed with new respect among many communities.
On a personal note, recently, I was honored to reenact Harriett Tubman (c. March 1822 - March 10, 1913) in Dr. Ben Carson’s "Star Spangled Adventures" series.
February also ushered in a new revival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Led by youth and young people of all ethnicities, prayer and repentance began to sweep the nation.
It may be well-appropriate, at this time, to parenthetically — but no less importantly so —to reflect on the scripture passage of Acts 16:26: "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed."
This passage reminds us we are one, linked human race.
The end of the year’s first quarter culminates with Women’s History Month on March 31.
Recently, Chaka Kahn, a popular and gifted musical personality reminded us that life should not be about competition; we should rather appreciate one other, as well as our talents; cherishing them as gifts.
This is a wise sentiment, in much need of being put into actual practice — daily.
Let us please, as much as possible in our personal and familial relationships, remain as non-political as possible.
This urgency is now great, more than ever, as we are so divided: culturally, politically, racially, and ethnically.
While we, as patriotic Americans salute our flag, and mostly engage civically in the most responsibile ways possible, politics can't and won't solve our many, nebulous problems.
We need God; we need Scripture. Whether we are willing to admit this to ourselves is irrelevant. For the powerful love of God overtakes us; yes even during those darkest moments when we least expect it to do so.
Let us keep looking up, let us pray.
These are not trite sentiments, they form the very foundation of our survival.
May God Bless us, each and everyone, and these great, majestic United States of America.
Alveda C. King, Ph.D., is chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for the American Dream. She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A. D. King and the niece of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She is founder of Speak for Life, and Alveda King Ministries (www.alvedaking.com). Dr. King is also an acclaimed author, television host, and contributor. She was twice elected to the Georgia State House, and has been a presidential appointee, as well as recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Read More — Here.
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