I have to confess, I have never really given the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr’s life much serious thought. He was one of those American heroes who contributed much to American social and political thought; but I usually relegated him to the realm of specific cause rather than general benefit in terms of his impact on society. Perhaps this has been due to the quiet, latent racism that subconsciously exists in the darker, less examined corridors of most people’s minds. Upon reflection, I realize that I owe him, and his works for all mankind, tribute.
In my youth, like many whites of my generation, I focused on the man and his inter-personal, private, sexual morality rather than upon the much more important and glorious good found in his social morality. As I did with Bill Clinton during his Presidency, I saw the affairs and backroom deals rather than the glorious possibilities of his vision; in short, I saw and focused on what J. Edgar Hoover wanted white America to see. And I saw this even though I was not even a year old at the time of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. In other words, the smear of Martin Luther King, Jr. lived on in the white community long after his death. I even recall personal opposition, though neither strong nor deliberately racist, to MLK having a holiday in his honor. My reasons were simple; I perceived, as did many whites, that MLK’s accomplishments had nothing to do with me. In all of this, as in many of my youthful beliefs, I was naïve, and I was wrong.
I failed to perceive and understand what many white Americans then and now failed and continue to fail to perceive and understand. Growing up and living in white-dominated communities makes racism nearly invisible to those of us who don’t have it in our hearts. We don’t practice it and those who know this don’t let it show in our presence, usually. At the same time, cultural influences creep into the mentality of those not openly exposed to active racism. So, we perceive that there is no problem, because we don’t see that to which we are not exposed. It is only in the last fifteen or so years that I have come to the realization of how creeping racism had distorted my thoughts on the issue. A good portion of the realization came from the epiphany I experienced on learning that I was 1/8th Saponi. When I claim that heritage, the most frequent response is something along the lines of, yeah, right. If I was 1/8th black, I would have had that fact thrust in my face all of my life, and my grandfather would not have been able to deny, as he did, the ethnicity of his mother. My wife is ¼ Asian, but, as with me, that doesn’t forcefully present itself in her appearance.
The lessons from all of this for me are clear. No matter what definitions we seek to apply, we cannot claim Martin Luther King, Jr. as a black hero or even an American hero. While Dr. King is most definitely a hero of Black America, his message of peace, tolerance and understanding transcends the color of his skin and the ethnicity of his parentage. In fact, the power and relevance of his message even transcends the country of his birth; Dr. King is not only a hero for those whose skin is of a different cast, he is not only a hero for those living in the country most identified with freedom, Dr. King is a hero for the entire world.
On this day, particularly this year, we should all examine the inner workings of our hearts and attempt peaceful change and progress for the betterment of the human community. I believe that this is, ultimately, the change in man that Martin Luther King, Jr. sought
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