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'Celebrate is not the word that comes to mind.' Ijeoma Oluo honors Martin Luther King
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." That's the theme for today's event. And as someone who lives in this county and has lived in the Greater Seattle Area for 36 years, I've been reflecting on these words and what they mean to me here in this place and in this time. But as I was trying to think of that, I just kept getting caught up on the invite that I got to speak here. I was invited to help celebrate the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. Celebrate.
Celebrate is a very specific word. It is a word that is often used when I'm asked to speak in January and February about Dr. King, and yes, I am only asked to speak about Dr. King in January and February. But in thinking of what it looks like to speak with truth and live in the love of the great Dr. King, 'celebrate' it not the word that comes to mind.
...
So no, as a county, as a society, as a country, I do not think we get to celebrate yet. I do not think Dr. King would celebrate yet. So perhaps there's another word, a word that I wish came up more often when I am asked to speak at these celebrations. Honor.
What does it look like to honor Dr. King? What does it look like to honor his words that were chosen for today? "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." I have given truth. Truth that does not care about your excuses. Truth does not care about your complications. Truth that says that for over 400 years, our people have been abused. For over 400 years our children have not been allowed to be children. Truth that says that this country and this county has failed and is failing its people of color every day in countless ways. This is a truth that cannot be argued, a truth that must be reckoned with and accounted for.
...
Love is an action and you must act. This is what it looks like to honor Dr. King, and perhaps if we had done more to honor him over the years, I would feel more like celebrating today. I will say, to those of you in this audience who have been working every day, and I see you, often against your peers, against a system steeped in white supremacy, hose of you who have been working to make sure that those of us who don't have access are heard and are seen who are fighting for the humanity of our children, for the survival of our infants, for the safety of our communities and for the freedom of our people — Thank you. You are appreciated, even if it's not said enough.
Ijeoma Oluo's full keynote address:--> https://www.kuow.org/stories/celebrate-is-not-the-word-that-comes-to-mind-ijeoma-oluo-honors-mlk
Celebrate is a very specific word. It is a word that is often used when I'm asked to speak in January and February about Dr. King, and yes, I am only asked to speak about Dr. King in January and February. But in thinking of what it looks like to speak with truth and live in the love of the great Dr. King, 'celebrate' it not the word that comes to mind.
...
So no, as a county, as a society, as a country, I do not think we get to celebrate yet. I do not think Dr. King would celebrate yet. So perhaps there's another word, a word that I wish came up more often when I am asked to speak at these celebrations. Honor.
What does it look like to honor Dr. King? What does it look like to honor his words that were chosen for today? "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality." I have given truth. Truth that does not care about your excuses. Truth does not care about your complications. Truth that says that for over 400 years, our people have been abused. For over 400 years our children have not been allowed to be children. Truth that says that this country and this county has failed and is failing its people of color every day in countless ways. This is a truth that cannot be argued, a truth that must be reckoned with and accounted for.
...
Love is an action and you must act. This is what it looks like to honor Dr. King, and perhaps if we had done more to honor him over the years, I would feel more like celebrating today. I will say, to those of you in this audience who have been working every day, and I see you, often against your peers, against a system steeped in white supremacy, hose of you who have been working to make sure that those of us who don't have access are heard and are seen who are fighting for the humanity of our children, for the survival of our infants, for the safety of our communities and for the freedom of our people — Thank you. You are appreciated, even if it's not said enough.
Ijeoma Oluo's full keynote address:--> https://www.kuow.org/stories/celebrate-is-not-the-word-that-comes-to-mind-ijeoma-oluo-honors-mlk
So much goodness in this address, it was hard to limit it.
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