This nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and it is a significant occasion. Why is it such a big deal? I grew up in New Mexico, where I rarely encountered Black people. The only Black person I ever interacted with was a boy named Conley, a kind young man in my seventh grade class.
My wife may chide me for sharing this story, but it needs to be told. In our gym class, after running and playing, we’d all head to the showers, which was a large open room with multiple showerheads. One day, the boys decided to surround Conley and urinate on him.
Why they chose to do that, I cannot say. Perhaps it was because he looked different. Conley, ever good-natured, laughed it off, but I can only imagine the pain he felt inside. It was a deeply humiliating experience – one I have never forgotten.
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True human flourishing arises not from handouts or systemic oppression but from education, opportunity and the recognition of God-given worth in all people.
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As a child, my family occasionally traveled by train from New Mexico to Texas to visit my grandparents. I noticed a section in the back of the train car labeled “Colored.” It was usually empty because, as I mentioned, there weren’t many Black people where I lived.
However, it left an impression on me. I also saw “Colored” signs on bathrooms and other facilities. These observations reinforced the prejudice ingrained in our society and subtly suggested that Black people were somehow inferior to white people.
After my wife Patricia and I married, we moved to Louisiana to her family farm, which had been in her family for generations. Occasionally, Black people would ask to fish in our pond. At the end of the day, they’d sit on the porch steps. I invited them to sit in the rocker and chat, but they always declined, their demeanor excessively submissive, as though they had internalized the servility imposed on their ancestors. This behavior was unsettling and a stark reminder of the lingering legacy of slavery.
In the local restaurant, Black people weren’t allowed in the dining room; they entered through the back and ate in the kitchen. One day, a Black couple walked in the front door and sat in the dining area. The waitress served them as if nothing were amiss. When I asked her about it later, she explained that they were from out of town and didn’t know the rules. Her casual acceptance of the situation hinted at a small crack in the wall of segregation.
One particularly chilling incident involved a policeman in our town. He told me about confronting a Black man who had entered a white part of town. Without waiting for an explanation, the officer ordered the man to run and then shot him in the leg as he fled, warning him never to return. The officer recounted this without any hint of remorse, as though such actions were entirely justified.
The owner of the local service station referred to his young Black helper with a racial slur, calling him his “N—– bear.” This was the early 1970s, a time when overt racism was still openly practiced in many places.
Fast forward to today, and this nation now honors a Black man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a national holiday. What extraordinary progress we have made as a nation!
Dr. King addressed the injustices of his time with immense wisdom and grace. He encouraged Black Americans to pursue education, work hard and love their enemies, thereby letting others see their inherent dignity and worth. His Christian faith informed his message of love, service and nonviolence. I am elated that we celebrate this remarkable man, who exemplified the highest ideals of humanity.
However, it is lamentable that Dr. King has not been here in recent decades to guide us further. While we have made great strides, there remains work to be done. Christian love and understanding should have driven our progress more than government programs. True human dignity is built on education, effort and striving. Government handouts, while sometimes necessary, often undermine this dignity and hinder human flourishing.
Dr. King’s legacy reminds us that real progress comes from empowering individuals to reach their full potential. As we celebrate his life, let us recommit ourselves to these principles, striving for a society where all people are treated with the respect and love they deserve.
Quotes from the Bible
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. — Galatians 3:28
