“And so we must say, now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to transform this pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our nation. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of racial justice.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Just four days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the country’s 45th president, millions of Americans on Jan. 16 will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the wake of increased racial tensions and vitriolic exchange between communities of color, police agencies and mainstream ideologies, the question persists, “How has Dr. King’s dream of equality and justice impacted our nation in general and Atlanta in particular?”
The Atlanta Daily World spoke exclusively with The Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change’s Dr. Hilda Tompkins, senior director for Strategic Educational Initiatives, about “the Dreamer,” his legacy and how he and his teachings have been embraced throughout the nation and the world.
On the significance of the national holiday …
Dr. Tompkins: “There are a number of significances to Dr. King’s national holiday. First and foremost, he was a man of peace and the work that he did. You know there were three revolutions here in this country. We had three revolutions that you can count here in the United States. We had the American Revolution, we had the Civil War and we had the Civil Rights Movement. And what sets the Civil Rights Movement apart is that it is the only one that change came about without a declaration of war. So for our country to recognize, with a national holiday, a man of peace, is very significant, because it shows that we have come a long way from the way we used to solve conflicts as a nation. Dr. King has given us the methodology that we can use around the world to bring about that same peace.”
On whether or not the prophet is properly recognized in his hometown …
“I think more of us could pay more attention to his philosophy and his methodology. The citizens of Atlanta have been very welcoming to the King Center and the King family as the King Center was being built. We have the historic district [designation] now, which has been expanded from the campus of the King Center to embrace Dr. King’s birth home and the area where he grew up. The district also includes Ebenezer Baptist Church where he co-pastored with his father. So while he may not have the recognition that people think he should have in Atlanta, Atlanta has been very welcoming to the King Center and the methodology and philosophy that’s promoted about Dr. King through the King Center.”
On today’s violence …
“The issues of violence and police brutality are some of the same issues that Dr. King faced when he was leading the Civil Right Movement. Police brutality was a part of the Civil Rights Movement as well. And what people don’t understand is that there are principles that support the steps to nonviolence. Most of the time people go straight to the fifth step [of his teachings], which is direct action. But there are six principles that have to be embraced before you can even start to put the steps in motion. For example, the first principle is nonviolence as a way of life for courageous people. So it has to be understood that nonviolence is not a cowardice way, you’re not simply turning the other cheek, you are standing up for what’s right and refusing to lower yourself to the level of those that are committing violence. So the foundation of Nonviolence 365 is first to embrace those principles.”
Applying King’s philosophy in daily life …
“First it is a way of life for courageous people. Nonviolence speaks to love instead of hate, so we have to believe that our power to love is greater than the enemy’s power to hate. I know that these things sound very weighted, but when you study Dr. King, the principles become clear. While he was a prolific writer, he was also a plainspoken writer so that anyone at any academic level could grasp and understand his methodology and philosophy. So once we embrace those principles we get a different outlook about what it is we are trying to achieve through social change.
Dr. King’s approach to nonviolence is [distinguished] from other types of nonviolence and conflict resolution because the sixth step in Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence is reconciliation. It’s not enough to conquer our enemies … once we have some type of resolution or compromise … the end result is reconciliation, so that it’s a win-win situation for the oppressed and the oppressor. Dr. King was not here just to deliver African Americans, he was here to deliver anyone and everyone from oppression and whatever plight they were in to redeem the soul of America.”
After emerging as a hero for not only the African-American community, but all communities and people around the world, recognizing Dr. King’s birthday as a national holiday is essential to realizing the principles he stood for, peace, justice and an end to violence, much like the birthday observation for Mohandas Gandhi in India.
“Thirty years ago, I worked alongside a number of dedicated activists and civic leaders in making a dream a reality — getting Dr. King’s birthday recognized as a national holiday. I was too young to have marched with Dr. King when he came to Detroit in 1963, but later I had the honor of working for Coretta Scott King and with some of the most prominent figures in the movement, like Rev. James Orange, Harry Belafonte, Andrew Young and Rev. Joseph Lowery,” says Roz Edward, Atlanta Daily World managing editor. “It’s fate that the The King Center, which was then housed in the home where he was born, would also be the birthplace of the movement to have his birthday recognized as a national holiday.”
The King Center’s Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner, the organization’s only annual fundraiser, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Saturday, Jan. 14.
For tickets and more information please contact thekingcenter.org or call 404.526.8900.
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