As the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday approaches, we must begin to reflect on the examples and lessons he left to us. King's life was exemplary of love and courage in action while under fire. He was willing to take unpopular stances and go to great lengths to hold political actors and the political system accountable. This could be no more evident than in his stand against the war in Vietnam.
When King delivered his speech, "Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam," on April 4, 1967 at the historic Riverside Church in Harlem, consensus around the war's unpopularity had yet to concretize. His stance on Vietnam essentially placed him in the middle of a vast ocean of blind patriotism where people characterized dissenters as "un-American." He was at odds with some of his closest confidantes and advisers who wondered aloud, "What does Vietnam have to do with civil rights?" King's characterization of the U.S. government as the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world" placed him in direct opposition to those with political power and on the side of the "least of these."
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act after the brutality endured by local people in Selma, Ala., was broadcast to the world, and King came to help dramatize and give voice to what was happening there. After the signing, Johnson touted himself as a friend of the Civil Rights Movement. Like many politicians, he expected political allegiance from King and other movement leaders because he had "helped" them. One could imagine how bewildered Johnson was when King announced his stance on Vietnam. Livid is an understatement.
Suddenly, the man who was looked at as a responsible "Negro leader" was thrown from the good graces of the politically powerful. King's calls to the White House went unanswered. Donations to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference—he was the president—dried up. King was persona non grata in Washington and in many powerful politically and economically connected circles. King was not deterred, however, and spoke out more against the Vietnam war.
He understood the carnage politicians can cause when they are not accountable to those they represent. He understood how politicians who meant well could be neglectful toward the concerns of their constituents and how such neglect could result in great suffering. It would do us all well to take a page out of King's book and hold elected officials accountable to us.
The impoverishment of Mississippi makes it clear that major political neglect is taking place. The poverty, the blight and the lack of economic resources flowing into poor communities are unacceptable. The fact that some officials have "represented" these poor areas for multiple decades is even more disconcerting. The brown water, the crumbling infrastructure and potholes all tell a story of political neglect that leads to the highest echelons of local and state government.
Many politicians ride into political office on the backs of the poor and make promises that they never keep. This can only be stopped if ordinary people hold them accountable. Holding elected officials accountable is no small task. It will take courage. It will take a willingness to be unpopular, mocked and scorned in some popular circles. Nonetheless, it is necessary.
King would surely condemn the attempted takeover of Jackson's airport as the racist move that it is. However, I am also sure that King would have a strong critique of political officials who allow large parts of their constituencies to wallow in poverty and degradation.
The task ahead is not an either/or task. It is a both/and task. While beating back reactionary forces in Mississippi, we must also have strong critique and accountability measures for those politicians that claim to be fighting for us in the state and here in Jackson. As King modeled, we must be bold and uncompromising in this stance. One of my favorite King quotes addresses this:
"Cowardice asks the question—is it safe? Expediency asks the question—is it politic? But Conscience asks the question—is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right."
As we celebrate King, let us be reminded of his political courage and unwillingness to cower in the face of those wielding political power and influence. We should subscribe to his practice to build a better city, a better state and ultimately a better world.
Adofo Minka is a husband, father and criminal defense attorney in Hinds County. He is a member of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and works with Law for Black Lives. He lives in the Cooperative Community of New West Jackson.
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