*How ironic that the topic of America’s frightening refrain of hateful political rhetoric was in the same time frame as the run-up to the national holiday that honors the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the iconic, slain civil-rights martyr. It adds additional context to the invective-laced discourse that has been ratcheting-up these past few years.
Put it this way: If ML King didn’t resort to a demonizing, zero-sum, public bellow–in confronting the inherent evils of the Jim Crow era–how dare common, pandering politicians, empowered yahoos and media hucksters traffic in such?
*Speaking of MLK day, per se, it’s encouraging to see how the holiday keeps evolving into a day of service, especially for schools. More than 3,000 students from USF, for example, participated in a clean-up of local nonprofit facilities. The volunteer work is now incorporated into USF’s annual Stampede of Service. There’s still a place for “Drum Majors for Justice” and the like, of course, but community work by a cross section of students in the service of others is an extension of the King aspiration for America.
*That was an interesting King Day subplot that played out in some Atlanta suburbs. Several communities decided to use MLK Day to make up for some of the unexpected closings due to snow. And some African-American groups were not pleased.
Too bad they didn’t see it as a teachable moment. As ML King knew–better than most–non-segregated, public education was a critically important factor in realizing real emancipation and opportunity for African Americans. Black academic achievement must never be perceived as “acting white.” Taking the high road on turning MLK Day into an unexpected day of school attendance could have been much more than a calendar adjustment–but a symbolic and meaningful learning experience.