An inter-generational discussion on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By Olimatta Taal

“Leaders are needed…in every community all over this nation…Not leaders in love with money, but in love with justice. Not leaders in love with publicity, but in love with humanity,” are words that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his letter from Birmingham jail in 1963. As we celebrate his 85th birthday, there are many profound messages that Dr. King left with the world that are still relevant today.

Martin Luther King III expounds on his father’s agenda, “My dad certainly showed us how to engage and integrate in the 60′s but I am sure that he did not want us to abandon our own Black institutions. We have abandoned, integrated, and assimilated so much that we have neglect our own community. Somehow we have to use creative methods to uplift the community.

“African Americans as one ethnic group will spend a trillion dollars this year. That is imponderable, because we don’t own any manufacturing, we don’t produce products beyond our culture and music. Therefore, we are not in a position to leverage and uplift our community adequately. If any other group of people were spending a trillion dollars, they would own several banks. We don’t have one Black bank that has a billion dollars or 1% of what we are spending in 2014,” explains King III.

One of the original members of SNCC, Angelyn Butler shares her experience as one of the organizers of the March On Washington as a 17 year old, “The students are the ones that came up with the idea for the March on Washington in 1963, specifically James Bevel. The Student Movement was always working in relationship with the adult community but the students made their decisions on what actions they would take.”

Dr King was teaching non violent tactics through SCLC and the students were empowered. “We also fought economically. When you call an economic boycott, you affect the economy. That is what non-violence strategy was like through boycotts, sit-ins, marches, and getting arrested. We used all types of different approaches. You do it base up on the economic order. We withdrew almost 60 million dollars from the boycotts and were able to have our demands met.”

Sadat X, one of the voices of foundation hip hop group Brand Nubian discusses his view on Dr. King, “One of his messages was to get educated, we need that more than ever. With many businesses and trades, you have to specialize in certain areas to be successful. Go to the next level. Jobs are downsizing.” Today’s youth have to move a step forward by challenging school curriculum and also fight against miseducation in the schools from the elementary level to the university level.

X continues, “A lot of times they portray Dr. King as kind of soft, especially his stance towards non-violence. You should go along with his message of non-violence, racial violence now a days is at a minimum. However with surveillance everywhere, you will rarely get away with being violent. His message is strategic for now so we better use that as an option to get ahead.”

Dr. King has such a dynamic impact on the world. Helen Faussart from Les Nubians shares her thoughts on his legacy, “I think Martin would remind us to love each other regardless of our religion, gender, wealth, or race. The world is more and more divided, when the world should be more and more united. The internet should unite us, but for some reason, we continue to drift apart. Martin reminds us to love each other. His dream that he had will stay alive, yet he would encourage us to create other dreams for ourselves.”

The artists have a responsibility and Helen implores the music industry to use it wisely. “Music has a unique way of touching people’s hearts and their minds along with their feet. When we use it for something that is bigger, to serve our communities like MLK did, it becomes a form of healing, it becomes efficient, food for soul, it becomes water when we are thirsty. We have to remember that we have a responsibility there. I don’t remember a revolution without music.”

T.I. speaks on Dr. King’s impact on the music industry as well, “For the hip hop culture, Dr. King always represented things like hope, restoration, and strength. He was a man that gave so many people hope and a voice in his short-lived life. He connected the world through his words and actions. He was able to get people to listen and to come together regardless of their differences. Hip Hop has also given many a voice connecting generations and worlds. The challenges and charge he had decades ago are still things we have to keep striving for today.” As we remember Dr. King, we must embrace that we are the 21st Century leaders of today, and we are the ones that the world is waiting for to make a difference.