April 4th is a day that nobody should forget!
White supremacy sent its message--and continues to send the same message to Black and Brown people.
“Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr. April 3, 1968
"April 4, 1968, marks a day of profound tragedy and reflection. On this day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated.
Dr. King fought against white supremacy in all its forms.
Dr. King opposed rampant capitalism–in all its forms.
Dr. King opposed militarism–in all its forms.
Each year on April 4th, I remember not just the man, but the message he carried.
And I remember his assassination at the hands of a white supremacist system.
Why?
Because the shadow of political assassinations stretches long beyond the past. This message was sent long before April 4, 1968. It was also sent long before October 7, 2023.
It manifests today, morphed yet unmistakable, driven by the same insidious message from the white supremacist powers: that control over Black and Brown lives is theirs to claim.
The echoes are loud, and they are clear.
In the militarization of police forces. In the construction of 'Cop City' near Atlanta, a stark contrast to its large and vibrant Black community.
In the overlooked famine in Congo, where silence speaks volumes of the world's indifference.
In Gaza, where the shouts of genocide grow louder, met with white western acceptance rather than anti-racist action.
Dr. King's assassination is a strong reminder of the price paid for standing against injustice and white supremacy.
But it is not just his death we remember—it is the ongoing struggle against the systemic violence and oppression against Black and Brown communities.
The destruction and famine in Congo, the genocide of Gaza, the centuries of Black enslavement—these are not just footnotes in history.
They are glaring evidence of a world that continues to benefit from the oppression of Black and Brown people.
So, as we recall Martin Luther King Jr.'s untimely death, let us also remember the countless lives still caught in the crossfire of injustice and oppression.
Let us not forget the leaders, the activists, and other courageous people, whose precious lives are stolen every day.
People, we stand at a crossroads, where silence is complicity.
It is time to unite, to stand together against the tide of violence and white supremacy that threatens to take the lives of Black and Brown people–as well as our dreams of equality and justice for all.
I ask three things of you today:
Remember. Reflect. Act.
For Dr. King, and for every life that demands justice."