Leroy Barber
Executive Director
On the day in which we celebrate the work of Dr. King, I began to realize how dangerous it is to dig into what got him assassinated. It wasn’t the wonderful “I have a dream” speech in Washington. It was the push on living wages, the audacity to work for an end to poverty and equality in wealth.
Good wages and wealth are the rewards of a system slanted towards white America. The rewards are for those who sign off on its tenets of materialism and militarism; those who overlook racism. Dr King challenged these head on and led one of the greatest movements for justice in history. It cost him and many others who joined him their lives.
Lately, I have felt a bit of angst as I think about the work we are involved in at Neighborhood Economics with our push to help relocate resources to communities that historically haven’t received much, our participation in work to combat redlining, to investigate higher bond interest for HBCU’s, to challenge funders to support more BIPOC business, and our interest in closing the racial wealth gap.
This is dangerous work. And it is the only way forward, in my opinion.
If done well, and if organizations jump in and a movement to get more resources to the ground emerges, that could be quite dangerous. If care replaced greed and compassion pushed political agendas, we could cause a stir that would lead some to respond violently. This kind of movement may bring some harm, but I believe we can also have some semblance of protection in the heart of our beloved community. I am proud to be doing work that is contributing to the beloved community.
May MLK always be a reminder of how the world can be moved. Committed people willing to move together towards justice can indeed make equality a lived reality. It may be dangerous, but some risks are worth it.