Today is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, and it goes without saying that today, Jan. 18 2016, is much brighter than any day King ever saw. We’ve elected and re-elected the first black president. The Confederate flag no longer hangs over South Carolina. Teen Vogue recently recognized the slogan #blackgirlmagic. “Selma,” a film about King, was released in theaters nationwide—the first movie to tell his story in national theaters. And several black actors and actresses have scored an Oscar. I wonder what King would have to say…
Speaking of the Oscars, among tweets and taglines celebrating King today, also trending are headlines about black actors and filmmakers boycotting the upcoming awards show. Scholastic had to pull a finished children’s book—meaning it was written, illustrated and published—about George Washington and his “happy slaves.” A woman can request a black person not to deliver her order, and that request is granted—remember that news item? Not to mention: Police brutality cases and their resulting riots are popping up across the nation.
You just have to wonder, what would Dr. King say about today?
