Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service

Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On this Weekend of Service, implemented to coincide with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I invite you to explore our modern day responsibility to community service, advocacy, and everyday philanthropy.

Philanthropy is a noun and is defined as:

1. The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations.

2. Love of humankind in general.

3. Something, such as an activity or institution, intended to promote human welfare.

I want to learn more about an MLK that perhaps we’ve been protected from, and become more comfortable with the language of responsibility, and take this into our everyday lives. So often we ask each other, what would he do, if he were alive today?

On April 3, 1968, the day before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech in Memphis, Tennessee, in support of striking sanitation workers. He began as though he’d been asked in which age of time he would like to live in. He considered ancient Egypt, the Greek and Roman eras, Renaissance and then said:

“I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. But I wouldn't stop there.

If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy. Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, the cry is always the same — "We want to be free." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As Dr. King’s speech continued, he admonished those listening to “keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice”.  If Dr. King were alive today, would the issues be the same? Would he again ask us to keep the issues in the forefront of our work, our activism, and our outrage? Rage is where our pain and oppression meets the light of day, and has the opportunity to catalyze into progress, and fueled into purpose.

Dr. King preached the concept of radical equity before we knew what it was. His words still ring forth - clearly - asking us to rediscover and reimagine the way we contribute to our community. The thing is, this work is not possible if we work alone, as individuals. 

But together, we can lean into the issues that move us - whether from a place of outrage or equity, or healing. We can get out of our unique and singular skin, imagine what it is like to be in the skin of others and link arms with them to move towards radical love, for not only our neighbors, but for everyone. In the new series, Women of the Movement, Mamie Till-Mobley’s admonishment rings loud: “When something happened to Negroes in the South, I said ‘that’s their business, not mine.’ Now I know how wrong I was. The death of my son has shown me that whatever happens, to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of all of us.”

Will you be a strategist, or share your vision out to the masses? Will you tell stories or offer caregiving? Perhaps you’ll show up to protest, or help tend to the needs of your neighbor. Maybe you’ll provide access or build a bridge, or offer healing. None of this works until and unless we are all standing ready, together, to contribute to an ecosystem of action. 

“Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. The question is not “If I help, what will happen to me, my time, my name”, the question is “If I do not help, what will happen to them?” Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King also asked us to anchor our external actions with our economic power. What did he mean by that? How can we interpret this in a way that spurs us into action today? How can we collectively stand together, and become more intentional in how we spend our money, how we use our purchasing power to strengthen local efforts and businesses, and how we support our community members?

As Dr. King completed his speech, he said:

“All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. We are going on. We need all of you.”  -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we acknowledge this weekend of service, remember that none of us got here alone. We need each other. As a community, we must be invested and work together, to build a legacy of our own service. As we continue our efforts at recovery from the past months and years, and remember those we’ve lost, I ask you to consider what Dr. King would do if he were alive today. What would he say? 

Perhaps however, the better question is what will YOU do with this weekend? How will you fight for economic justice, or the legacy of community service? How will you pivot and shift your own philanthropy (this is not a concept or an action just for the wealthy!) to point it towards addressing the root cause of the need in the first place?

How will you do your part to help America be true to what we’ve said we are, on paper?

(to subscribe to my email newsletter visit Naomi’s Notes via Substack!)