2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, social worker, and women's rights advocate, once said, "You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe."
When we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., it's important to truly reflect on the lasting footprints he made in our struggle for the equal rights promised, but not always delivered, in our American democracy.
We must not forget the hate, death threats, pain, and imprisonment Dr. King endured, nor how today some politicians manipulate his words to tiptoe around the truths he preached. MLK’s footprints are stained with the blood of his sacrifice. Let us not forget that he was assassinated in Memphis fighting alongside sanitation workers for their basic civil rights.
So, as we honor Dr. King’s legacy, we must also confront the same hard, uncomfortable truths that led to his assassination. We must examine how we are tiptoeing around - whether out of fear or indifference – the active genocides and acts against humanity happening worldwide. We must reckon with the fact that our current two-party government system is failing to represent the interests of the majority of Americans, resulting in a state of dysfunction that produces greater inequity and injustice, impacting us all.
Let me be clear, this movement, MLK’s movement, leaves no room for those who tiptoe. It demands marchers, risk-takers, and people willing to lock arms and leave bold footprints in the sand for justice. It requires courage! #navigatingcourage
Written By: Dr. Robin Martin