Over the past several weeks, organizations across the District and nation, have held breakfasts, seminars, and parades, honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Further, with Black History Month on the horizon, there will be more programming commemorating King and other freedom fighters for their work toward civil rights.
As we are reminded of the contributions Dr. King and other activists made to American society, and which continue to impact our lives, a more pressing issue bubbled to the surface. What can we do — what should we do — to defuse the blatant and unrelenting surge spearheaded by those who support white supremacy?
In conversations with scholars, clergy, and politicians, one response which emerged was for Americans to follow the same blueprint that led to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board, the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and the election of a wave of African Americans in Congress and in mayoral races across the country.
If we want change, are dissatisfied with how our rights are being eroded and democracy is being dismantled, then we must get active at the local level.
For illustrative purposes, consider the upcoming mayoral race in Washington, D.C.
How many candidates have expressed interest in replacing the current mayor and how do their platforms speak to our specific needs? Do you know? As for the shakeup that’s coming to the D.C. Council, what problems have persisted in each of the District’s wards and what are the candidates’ proposed solutions?
Sure, there will be the inevitable meet and greet events. Some candidates may even visit our churches and proclaim to be the answer to all our dreams. But we know that’s just political rhetoric.
As Lamont Mitchell and his team of officers at the Anacostia Coordinating Council suggest, we need to have our own list ready to submit to those who are running for office. We need to organize within our communities and be courageous to speak out and speak up. No amount of activism is too small. What matters is that we all become grassroots activists. That’s how King and the other freedom fighters of the past began their walk into destiny.
Many Americans have taken to blame the president and Republicans, for the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the unprecedented attacks on immigrants and others by ICE officers, and prices that still have not gone down.
But we the people are the ones who either voted for those now in power, or who stayed home whining about the lack of qualified candidates.
The time to act is now. Stop crying. Get involved, get active, and help make the change we need today.