The irony that the inauguration of the 47th president of the Disunited States of America fell on the same day as the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday was lost on very few. The work and goals of the two men illustrate the diametrically opposing visions of what this country can and should be. One vision prioritizes people of European descent, the wealthy and dominance through violence. The other vision, outlined in the 1964 speech given at the ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize, is one that eliminates racial injustice, poverty and war.
On January 20, many Americans chose which vision they would recognize and support. Some chose to celebrate an incoming administration that has uplifted the idea of white supremacy, misogyny and unbridled capitalism. In the midst of an impending full-throttled effort to erase all of the rights fought for and gained in the past several decades, many African Americans chose to celebrate Dr. King’s vision by enjoying televised, online or in-person programs. I chose to experience the two vastly different worlds in one day.
I had already planned to travel from Chicago to Washington, D.C., during inauguration week to attend a program for the release of a quarter in honor of my great-grandmother Ida B. Wells at the National Museum of African American History & Culture. The lives of Wells and King overlapped, and I want to believe that she spiritually passed the baton of activism to him when she died in 1931, two years after he was born. In order to be inspired by the long legacy of fighting for freedom, justice and equality, I sought an in-person event that spoke to the unbreakable strength of my people.
I attended the National Action Network’s indoor rally at the historic Metropolitan AME Church. The overwhelmingly African-American crowd was encouraged and inspired by gospel music, freedom songs, the Black national anthem, and messages from several speakers about the long history of Black liberation and resilience. The Rev. Al Sharpton’s speech included a history lesson about 1619, the slave ports, the position President Abraham Lincoln took during the Civil War, and how Dr. King encouraged the Black community to use their economic power to dismantle oppressive systems. He explained that in a capitalist society, how dollars are spent matters, even by people with limited power. He outlined how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which are in alignment with King’s vision of equality and opportunity for all, have been demonized and weaponized by the 47th president and his supporters. Yet, it has been proven that DEI strengthens organizations by adding different perspectives, skills, experiences and engagement, which improve the bottom line. There was a strong call to the hundreds in attendance to withhold our financial resources from companies that do not value DEI, and be strategic about supporting companies that embrace it.
After leaving the environment that focused on African-American strength and self-determination, I walked through the labyrinth of barricades to get as close as I could to Capital One Arena, where the significantly scaled-down inauguration activities had been moved. The streets were eerily empty, with almost no street traffic. Most buildings were closed except hotels, convenience stores and a few coffee shops. I assumed that the thousands of supporters who were shut out of the arena would still gather in the streets. However, there were significantly fewer people wearing MAGA hats than I expected. All I saw were sparse groups leaning against fences that faced streets empty of everything except rows of police officers. Vendors on sidewalks hawked a wide range of MAGA gear wherever they could find space. Once I got to the fenced-off area close enough to see the signage for the arena, I was told it was impossible to get any closer unless I tried to go around to the other side. Although some people near me were looking at their phones to watch the inauguration luncheon that was still in progress, no one I talked to knew if anything would take place on the streets.
For thousands who had traveled for the inauguration, there was no parade. No bands marching. No processions. No motorcades. I walked blocks to get to the other side of the arena and still got nowhere near it. Even though I eventually made it to Pennsylvania Avenue where the parade was originally to take place, the only activity I saw was a small band performing with one onlooker engaged. During the four hours I was in the area looking for activities I met people from across the country who patiently waited in the cold only to see nothing.
During and after the rally at the arena, the 47th president promptly signed dozens of executive orders to unravel all my great-grandmother, Dr. King and thousands of others worked for, including eliminating DEI agencies from the federal government, pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists and setting in motion the deportations of “criminal illegals.” In addition, several sections of the White House website were suddenly down, including resources in Spanish, LGBTQ+ pages, information about reproductive rights, biographies of several former presidents and the Constitution. Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ flags were also banned from flying at American embassies and outposts. All the opposite of King’s vision.
The 47th president has relentlessly bashed Former President Barack Obama’s and my hometown of Chicago and seems to have the city as a premier target to assault immigrant communities. In anticipation, the city recently voted to have the local police department not cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Efforts to educate people about their rights and what to do if they encounter immigration officials have ramped up. This is the same city that King visited in 1965 to bring light to the extreme racial inequity in housing. Other sanctuary cities like San Diego, Denver and Los Angeles are equally defiant.
The Disunited States of America is in a struggle to decide what type of country it will be. Even though the Oval Office, majorities in the House, Senate and many courts are in alignment to roll back progress, the resistance to the unraveling of Dr. King’s vision will be multi-pronged. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King said African Americans were “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” and were in Washington, D.C., to cash a check “that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”
Many in the MAGA crowd weaponize one line about content of one’s character versus color of their skin from Dr. King’s most-quoted speech, without addressing the racial and economic oppressive systems King was working to dismantle. In order for this country to be “great” for all, people who quote King also need to read, comprehend and implement the ideas outlined in his other writings and speeches.
Although the country is fragmented with people who don’t listen to or understand each other, there are still millions who believe that Dr. King’s vision of a kind and just world is something we need to strive for. The resistance to uphold the opposite will continue until one day, sooner than later, King’s vision becomes a reality…