Martin Luther King, III

Notes from the Road - Martin Luther King, III and Realizing the Dream’s Listening and Learning trip through America

Starting the Tour

Less than half a mile from a statue of my father in San Antonio, along a large commercial avenue, there sits a small, derelict red building. Planted in an empty lot, the white writing on its crimson face is clearly visible from the road. Driving past, I read the phrases as part of a silent conversation:

We Still Poor

Ride your bike!

Have we progressed or have we lost?

The last stuck in my mind. In many ways, the progress that American society has made since my father was taken from us is incredible and inspiring. But last February, at my mother's homecoming, my own private introspection quickly turned to the public legacy that she and my father had pursued. What can we say about the causes to which they dedicated themselves? Where do we stand against the triple threats of racism, economic inequality, and militarism?

As far as we have come, the enemy of justice against whom we are clearly failing - poverty - seems to have drifted from mainstream political discussion. In 1968, at the time of his assassination, my father was preparing his Poor People's Campaign. Lyndon Johnson's White House had its War on Poverty and Office of Economic Opportunity. '06 shares many of the same problems as '66, but we seem to have lost a public awareness of the crisis.

In 2004, the Census reported 37.2 million Americans living in poverty. Hurricane Katrina has so captured the nation's conscience for this reason: it cast a light on what it means to be poor, truly poor, in America, and any good-hearted person is shocked by what they see.

Considering these things as my family drew together to mourn our mother's passing, I found myself wondering (as we all have) what more I can do to help. Poverty in America is not a singular, monolithic problem; it has many causes, and each community lives its privation differently. And likewise, throughout the country, many good people are working to put in place new plans and initiatives in community empowerment and development, addressing local needs and challenges.

I have decided to make this work my own - to question and fight against the outrageous specter of poverty that haunts the richest nation in the history of the world. And I knew that the first thing I had to do was learn, was to speak to those who are most affected by poverty and those working to fight it throughout the country. I have decided to travel through America to learn what I could about the challenges different communities face, how they are meeting them (or failing to), and what I might be able to do to help.

And, as I travel, I will take the opportunity to report to this site and be very glad to dialogue with anyone with thoughts to share.

I thank DMI for allowing me to blog on this site - the Institute has an important history with my father, and I share its passion for social and economic justice and opportunity for everyone.

It is outrageous and shameful that a country with so much harbors so many with so little. The work of confronting this evil is complex and constant, and I look soberly forward to your company as I continue my own journey.

The writing is on the wall throughout America; I am grateful for the opportunity to see some of it, and to share what I see here.

Posted at 9:02 AM, Jun 15, 2006 in Civil Rights | Economic Opportunity | Racial Justice | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)