Today, on Dr. King’s Birthday, while most of America’s mind is turned toward this amazing man, and what he brought to our nation, to our people, especially those he empowered, we sometimes forget how much more of that long road we still have to walk.

His day is a reminder to me, of what all those before me have gone through, and our part in that collective punishment.

His day is a reminder to me, that it is not enough to celebrate someones attributes. We must recognize the black community in this country, still struggling for basic human rights. We must honor the vision of so many, including Martin Luther King Jr. and re-shape how we interact with one another in this world.

Our movement is continuing to work on these things, being more inclusive, broadening our efforts, trying to be more active as opposed to just paying lip-service. But as someone still connected in to both the Climate and Climate Justice efforts we have to do a lot more personal work, a lot more collective work, a lot more slowing down.

If we really want to build that proverbial bridge between our movements and become a force of change and an embodiment of our vision, this is what needs to happen.

For personal reading, on how our movement can “move” forward in a more Just way, click here and here.

These lyrics reminded me of the recent Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes cases, as well as the countless others that have gone unnamed, throughout our history:

“Bang Bang Bang”
Tracy Chapman

What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain’t place to run to
Ain’t no place to run

When he hold it in his hand
He feel mighty he feel strong
Now there ain’t no place to run to
Ain’t no place to run

One day he may come back
Repay us for what we’ve done
Then where you gonna run to
Where you gonna run

But one fine day
All our problems will be solved
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him down

Give him drugs and give him candy
Anything oohhh, to make him think he’s happy
And he won’t ever come for us
He won’t ever come

But if he does
And if there’s no one else around
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him down

If he preys only on his neighbors
Brothers sisters and friends
We’ll consider it a favor
We’ll consider justice done

But if he comes for you or me
And we can place a gun in his hand
Bang bang bang
We’ll shoot him dead

What you go and do
You go and give the boy a gun
Now there ain’t no place to run to
Ain’t no place to run

Now we’ll all be at his mercy
If he decides to hunt us down
Cause there ain’t no place to run to
Ain’t no place to run

If he wants the chances that you took from him
And nothing that you own
Then there’ll be no place to run to
There’ll be no place to run

And if he finds himself to be
A reflection of us all
Bang bang bang
He’ll shoot us down

Before you can raise your eyes to read
The writing on the wall
Bang bang bang
He’ll shoot you down

Before you can bridge the gulf between
And embrace him in your arms
Bang bang bang
He’ll shoot you down

Posted in Climate Justice, global warming, Government, Impacted Communities, Politics, Posterity, United States, Visioning, Youth Leaders