Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) – The Thinker.
When I came to the U.S. almost twenty years ago, I saw a day off work in January and started asking questions. People in Corporate America, of all elks and creeds, didn’t seem to have many answers for me. My friends who lived in the boroughs (we were in our 20’s so rent was cheaper in Brooklyn then), who were all multicultural or first generation, did not have much for me either. In fact, it took many years to truly understand what this day off work was about, aside from being told that MLK pioneered civil rights – which of course is a very basic statement on a complicated process which resulted in progress at a high cost for many.
Next month, here on theglasshammer.com, I will write on race and societal dynamics and tackle the hard conversations. Today, I want to simply revere Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a great thinker on many topics. He was a futurist and a “systems thinker” about many subjects – including war, democracy and militarism, and made a lesser known speech that is worth a listen today. So instead of posting out of context inspirational quotes from him, I wanted to share this video with you on his thoughts about Vietnam.
He was a man who thought deeply about values and hypocrisy. He understood the effects of economic poverty. He was a man of peace. He was a Capricorn. He wasn’t just a person to quote on a Monday in January to virtue signal in a social media meme world.
He spoke to students about believing in themselves and having a determinism to achieve excellence, whatever their work field of choice, and to create a blueprint for their life. To study hard no matter what and do a good job. What parent wouldn’t like their child to hear a speech like this?
Wherever you are on your journey regarding emotions filtered via subjective life experiences, and reactions to others and their beliefs and thoughts regarding systemic issues that today show up on the political spectrum as politicized topics: I ask you to stop, be a human and listen to this human.
We do not know what Martin Luther King would make of life today. The closest we can get to that is via the voices of his children, and his daughter in particular, Dr. Bernice King. But I do know it would be interesting to hear his intellectual and spiritual take on the goings-on of modern day society.
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Enjoy MLK day however you spend it here in the U.S. and happy Monday to the rest of the world.
By Nicki Gilmour, Founder and CEO of theglasshammer.com
