Keynote Address Prior to Annual Mass Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 16, 2009
[ As Prepared ]
Introduction
Bishop Knestout, Bishop Holley, Monsignor East, Father Jones, and my fellow parishioners, thank you for bestowing this honor on me this evening.
It is a great privilege to stand before you to share in the memory and the legacy of a man who was once introduced as ‘the moral leader of the Nation;’ A man who established himself as the preeminent voice in the quest for human rights during his era; A man who reached more African Americans, more Americans, more citizens of the world than any other United States reform leader in his century; And a man who shared his dream with a nation – a dream that begged each of us to be “co-workers with God.”
His was a dream that changed history, and a dream we are still yet to fully realize even days before Barack Obama takes the Presidential Oath of Office.
Our World in Dr. King’s Eye
In years past, I’ve used this day to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the person. I’ve described his childhood, his love of learning and his ability to capture people with his words. But this year, I hope we can reflect on the progress we’ve made since Dr. King’s death.
In the 46 years since he shared a Dream and the 41 years since his death, our country has come a great distance. In 1968, 40 percent of blacks lived below the poverty line and another 20 percent lived right near it. Today, that number still sits at about 25 percent, but the Black Middle Class has swelled since Dr. King’s passing. Today, one out of 10 African Americans earns more than $100,000 – forty years ago, less than 2 percent earned the equivalent of that amount. African Americans, today, wield $800 million in purchasing power – making “Black America” the 15th-richest nation on Earth.
We have made progress. But we must ask, “Would Dr. King be impressed by the progress we’ve made?” He’d be proud of the advances black men and black women have made in business, in politics and in academia. He’d be proud of the minds and the hearts that become more and more open and united with each passing generation. He’d be proud of a nation that looked beyond the color of a man’s skin and into the content of his character and elected Barack Obama President of the United States of America.
Yes, he’d be proud. But he wouldn’t be satisfied.
He wouldn’t be satisfied that those left behind to face the ravages of Hurricane Katrina without means of escape or assistance from the government were overwhelmingly African American. He wouldn’t be satisfied knowing that a black boy born in Washington, DC has less of a chance of surviving to his first birthday than a child born in urban parts of Kerala, India. He wouldn’t be satisfied knowing that same child is twice as likely to die before reaching his 20th birthday than a white child. He wouldn’t be satisfied when a third of black men in their 20s are incarcerated, on probation or on parole. He wouldn’t be satisfied knowing that more African Americans are in prison than in college.
Accept the Challenge
There is a great deal of work left before us, but I’m confident that Dr. King would be proud of how far we’ve come. He would challenge us – there’s no question at all. He would challenge us to cease this moment – Barack Obama’s inauguration – to bring our divided nation together today. He would challenge us to cease this exact moment and move beyond the ‘list of firsts’ – a list of the first African Americans to hold important positions or reach certain heights. He would challenge us to remember historical moments because of the accomplishment, not the color of the accomplisher’s skin.
On Tuesday, I’ll watch Barack Obama take the oath of office – like 42 men have before him – and I’ll be touched by the historical moment of seeing a man with my complexion ascending to the highest office in the nation. More importantly, though, I’ll be thinking of my grandchildren, who will know of that moment not simply as the moment a black man became president. They’ll know that moment because of the great things his calming leadership will make possible in the coming months and years.
Thank you very much. God bless you. God bless America. And God bless and guide our next President.
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