Through persistent advocacy and peaceful protests, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made strides towards justice and equality for Black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s, but his work was not finished, and even 54 years later, there is still much to be done.

During MLK Day of Service on Jan. 17, Montgomery County Community College held an online reflection gathering to focus on Dr. King’s work and how his life’s commitment to racial and social justice serves as an inspiring example to continue the charge.

MCCC President Dr. Victoria Bastecki-Perez welcomed more than 35 participants who attended the online ceremony through Zoom and introduced the three presenters—Reverend William Gipson, Special Adviser to the Vice President, University of Pennsylvania; Reverend Dr. Charles Howard, University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity and Community, University of Pennsylvania; and Dr. Keima Sheriff, MCCC Dean of Holistic Support.

“It is my honor to join you in commemorating the life and legacy of Reverend Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr.  Dr. King’s contributions to the cause of freedom and justice in the United States and across the world continue to inspire us all to take action every day,” said Dr. Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “As the community’s college, Montgomery County Community College is committed to enabling open access to education for all, to prepare for a future filled with possibilities for all and to bring about transformation to our society for all.”

Voting Rights

Gipson shared how his parents, who were faithful people and devoted citizens, were turned away when they went to register to vote in the 1950s in northern Louisiana, and it wasn’t until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that they were finally able to vote. During that decade, Dr. King became the voice of the modern civil rights movement. On May 17, 1957, he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and gave what has become known as the “Give us the Ballot” speech, starting with:

Mr. Chairman, distinguished platform associates, fellow Americans. Three years ago, the Supreme Court of this nation rendered in simple, eloquent, and unequivocal language a decision which will long be stenciled on the mental sheets of succeeding generations. For all men of goodwill, this May seventeenth decision came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of human captivity. It came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of disinherited people throughout the world who had dared only to dream of freedom . . .

Gipson noted, however, that these rights were infringed upon in 2013 when the Voting Rights Act “was gutted, and now we find ourselves in an eerily similar situation.” He quoted more of Dr. King’s “Give Us the Ballot” speech:

The Democrats have betrayed it by capitulating to the prejudices and undemocratic practices of the southern Dixiecrats. The Republicans have betrayed it by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of right wing, reactionary northerners. These men so often have a high blood pressure of words and an anemia of deeds.

“On this Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration in 2022, it is both a word of an affirmation and also one that tugs at the heart that his words from 1957 are applicable in this year,” Gipson said, noting that we cannot allow the votes of millions of Americans to be erased.  

Education

Sharing her personal educational story, Sheriff started her reflection with Dr. King’s words on education, “The function of education, Dr. King said, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character is the goal of true education. This is what he wrote on the purpose of education in 1947.”

Sheriff said her parents emigrated to the United States in the 1970s from Liberia, not looking for wealth, since they came from generational wealth, but seeking greatness in education.

“The law said they were supposed to be able to have an education freely, fully and equally. Well, we know no matter how laws are written, it takes actors to implement those laws. While the laws had changed, the actors had not. Many held onto old beliefs of who was deserving and who was not,” Sheriff said.

According to the Civil Rights Act, they had rights to education and jobs. Her mother, a child of a businessman, was a maid and her father, a child of a chief in Liberia, was a taxi-cab driver. However, they viewed these positions as temporary and expected Sheriff and her siblings to go to college.

“Education should be standard for all. There should not be a standard created for those who live in a community of wealth versus those who do not. Because I lived in a working-class poor community, my education did not have a standard that would be comparable to those who lived in well-resourced communities. But we let that stand. We as a nation, we let that discrimination stand,” she said.

Sheriff persisted and fought, earning her bachelor’s degree despite foundational gaps. Then, she continued her education to earn her master’s degree, and eventually, after 11 years, her doctoral degree.

“My story should not be a unique one for people of color. It should not be,” she said. “You should have the resources that you need regardless of your skin color or your economic background. Dr. King believed that. Dr. King fought for that. We are still trying to figure it out, but we won’t get there by accepting that states fund education based on taxes paid by those who have versus those who do not have.”

Sheriff encouraged everyone to use their talents to stand up and serve.

“If your voice and my voice come together and urge that this world be different, then that is a more powerful voice than no voice at all. We can’t stand aside anymore. Looking at the pandemic, it was painfully obvious who had and who didn’t have. I’m particularly proud of the institution I work for because when we recognized that many students didn’t have, the College made a commitment to get students laptops, to figure out the internet and other needs so that students could pursue their goals of improving their lives.”

“It doesn’t take much to add your voice to another, but it does require that you add your voice to the other. Allow your voice to be the other and then you will realize why there should never be an other,” Keima said.

Relearn, Refuse, Realign

While we celebrate Dr. King through service, that service must be matched with the commitment to change, said Howard.

“Dr. King didn’t spend his life doing community service, but spent his life trying to change the three evils of racism, poverty and militarism,” Howard said. “We dishonor Dr. King if we don’t name these things. I challenge you to relearn what he taught us not just today, but during the entire year.”

Critical refusal, he said, is something we can do in our lives every day by refusing to go along with things that are hurting other people.

“We can refuse to go along with the racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, Islamophobic or transphobic joke and push back on relatives with bigoted talk, not in the name of shaming or embarrassing them but because you want to teach them,” Howard said. “This is a way to honor Dr. King.”

Along with refusing and relearning, is realigning. Realigning, he said, is having the heart to care about issues that are not our own and locking arms with folks whose struggles may not directly impact us. One of Dr. King’s great teachings, he said, is “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Questions from Participants

Following the reflections of the three presenters, the participants were able to ask questions or make comments. One of the questions asked was, “How do you begin to implement a comprehensive K-12 curriculum that supports the legacy and work of MLK all 10 months of the school year?”

“We definitely need to stop pretending that critical race theory is something that it’s not because this is exactly what critical race theory is talking about,” said Sheriff, who responded to the question. “It’s teaching young people and hopefully their parents if they are paying attention, how to think critically by examining the material without the biased lens of the people who have been considered the victors. The only way we can think critically is to think objectively and the only way we can think objectively, is if we can interrogate all the information.”

Gipson spoke about what can happen outside the school that can help with what happens in the schools. One of these initiatives is the Children’s Defense Fund, which ensures that every child has what he or she needs to thrive. He also spoke about the vital role of Freedom Schools, which provide academic enrichment in environments that support children and young adults.

Final Closing Thoughts

In closing, the three presenters offered their final words to encourage people to be part of the solution.

For his comments, Gipson encouraged everyone to visit the statue of General Harriet Tubman at City Hall in Philadelphia. The statue shows her shielding a little boy, and they are both walking on rocky ground.

“It’s a rocky road to get to freedom, but you have to keep moving forward,” he said. “So, my final words are in the spirit of General Tubman, keep moving forward.”

For Howard, his final words were “to get some skin in the game.”

“The times are far too urgent for any of us to be passive,” he said. “With whatever gifts you have, with whatever passions are on your heart, every single person must get involved somehow.”

For Sheriff, her final thought for the day is to learn how to reframe the conversation.

“The more you resist those evils that people will try to put in your mind of not being qualified or capable of speaking to whatever the mess may be, the stronger you will be when you go to do your good work,” she said. “This is what your job is—to do a good work. People did not lay down their lives so you can squander your days, so let’s go out and do a good work.”