mlk letter

Martin Luther King Day has come and gone. Even as Gaza bleeds, police kill unarmed people of color in US cities, and our communities are torn apart by immigration raids, many believe King’s dream has been realized.

On the morning of the 19th, I used a restroom in a public building that had ethnic slurs and violent hate speech carved into the wall, including threats to murder Latina/o people. We are far from realizing any part of King’s vision, including creating a world free of racism and white supremacy. The message etched in the restroom was a glaring reminder of the mentality of some who live in our communities. While it’s terrible that individuals hold such hateful perspectives, it’s really disgusting that this view is reinforced by wider social and political norms.

The US maintains policies that embody the racist worldview communicated in the hate speech in that bathroom stall. Whether it’s “free” trade policies directed at the global south or the more overt imperialism of invasion and occupation of Arabic people, the US government maintains the oppression of other people and cultures around the world—and here at home. We have to look no further than the nearest ICE raid or prison to realize this intimately affects our local communities.

We should honor Dr. King by remembering the full scope of his vision—a dream that challenges racism, patriarchy, militarism, capitalism, and other forms of domination—and by realizing that the struggle is far from over.