Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Student Writing Competition Winners for 2020
Reflection on the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
First Place Submission by Holly Gage
In his Letter From a Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to address the immorality of watchful waiting, of standing by until these things, this current crisis, this problem, whatever it may be, passes. We have been taught to believe, cultured and socialized to patiently wait for change. The reality is, very little change happens with inaction. Dr King recognized, and charged all people, but particularly his siblings of faith, to recognize the sinfulness of their frozen, fearful immobility. His impassioned plea for action, deliberate, considered, and non-violent was reflective of the way he lived into his social justice work and the civil rights movement we still closely associate with his name.
What do these words, ringing through decades to the present day mean for us? How do we rise to our potential and claim a heritage of change, deliberately acting upon this call to justice? In our close Doane community, it may mean confronting our biases about who we sit next to in class, or the instructor at the front of it. It means unpacking and naming the prejudices about race, religion, sexual and gender identities, socio-economic status, political beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. This justice work has to start, as King said, with self-purification. At the national level we must address the leadership elected to positions of power and unrelentingly press them to do better, remind them that their power comes from us, and not the other way around. Involvement, engagement with our political structures, and awareness of injustice comes first, followed by a soul-deep desire to change those things we know do no serve the flourishing of human potential.
It is comfortable, even today, to seek safety in not doing. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the myriad crises our global community now faces. The decision to speak up or take action against injustice is fraught with hazards to one’s reputation, to employment, even to a person’s very life, which is as true today as it was nearly 60 years ago. Racial inequality remains a prominent part of our cultural landscape, and though the segregated fountains and restrooms no longer boast their overt hatred for all to see; the systemic prejudices built into our criminal justice system, our immigration system, and our economic structure remain all too real. We are challenged to confront injustice in ourselves, in our communities, and in the fabric of our society. King wrote to his colleagues, educated people of faith who were spiritual leaders for their congregations, and called upon them to do the difficult work that philosophers, priests, and prophets had done for millennia. He admonished them to stand in the traditions of convicted uprising against injustice. Reminding someone of who they are can be one of the most beautiful and dangerous gifts one person may give to another. Naming our fears and failings, charging each other to rise above them to our potential, innate and infinite, is an act of courage and rebellion. It is Love in action.
Second Place Submission by Rachele Stoops
Rereading Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ is to marvel again at his command of words, his clear imagery, and his direct appeal to the faith and conscience of the reader. Like Paul in the New Testament, Dr. King’s letters were directed to a specific audience, and yet they speak to every generation. What person in the midst of righteous indignation can read this letter and not feel that it was written specifically for this time, for this issue?
Dr. King’s insistence that injustice for some should intolerable for all is an important one for students at any age, including those at Doane University. The goal of higher education isn’t merely to prepare students for careers, but to expand their ability to learn and grow, and to challenge the ideas they inherited from tradition and status quo. Dr. King’s letter reminds us eloquently yet directly that we are all responsible when injustice takes place in our country. If we are wise, we students must use our time at Doane to learn from those around us, to listen to their experiences, and to gain perspective from our own. As people who have historically hidden in the shadows begin to live authentically, there continue to be more opportunities for those who truly believe in ‘Justice for All’ to protest discrimination, to fight unjust laws, and to enthusiastically and unabashedly stand with each oppressed person.
As an educator who has been fortunate to receive my certification (‘15), master’s (’16) and eventually my doctorate (projected ’21) at Doane University, I believe that adherence to the directives in King’s letter are crucial to continuing Doane’s mission to ‘lead and serve in the global community’. What I have learned, and will continue to learn, in my time at Doane, doesn’t affect my life alone. Every day I work with students who will go on to make their mark on the world around them, and the effects of Doane’s global leadership will ripple out for years to come.
It’s not enough that we mark this occasion annually. It’s not enough that the banks close, and we gather, and light candles and speak words, although all of those things are good. If we believe that we can know who Dr. King was by reading the words of this and his other writings, we know that he would want us to continue to stand together against oppression. We must be willing to care for more than our own comfort, willing to do more than repost or retweet, willing to do more than attend a dinner or read a letter. If we believe that words are powerful, and that by gathering together we can change the way individuals and groups of individuals are treated in our country and in the world, as a community of lifelong learners we must go back to Dr. King’s words: “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?”
For my sake, for my students’ sake, for my children’s sake, for Doane’s sake, for our country’s sake: be an extremist for love.
Third Place Submission by Vika Makaafi
“Time For Freedom”
Time has never waited for no man, but freedom has yet waited for a man of color for nearly 300 years. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” When the Consitution was created by the Founding Fathers it stated “We The People of United States..”, but African Americans weren’t categorized as people in America based on their color of skin. The many years of pain and endless hate that African Americans faced for generations to obtain the same constitutional rights as White people have left a permanent scar in America’s history. King proceeds to love the man that despites him and is filled with so much hatred towards his people. Generations were raised to hate a specific race that eventually became a social norm in this economy. If a man in America does not have basic human rights in the “Land of Freedom”, what does he have?
Racism has been America’s genocide. A genocide that didn’t kill African Americans physically, but has abused them mentally, socially, and spiritually. You can throw a man in jail and expect him to cease. You can beat him and expect him to suffer. You can take away his rights, but do expect him to fight back. Martin Luther King Jr. is such a historic leader because he retaliated in a peaceful way. He has led and taught the African community that when hate is given to reciprocate love and peace no matter the situation.
Privilege is defined in the dictionary as a “special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a specific person or group”. The “Letter from Bringham’s Jail” relates to me in the Doane community is not having the same rights as everyone on campus. Many students are fortunate enough to have parents that have been through college to provide them a comfortable lifestyle. I’m fortunate enough to physically be here at the Doane as a first-generation student and one day provide a comfortable lifestyle for my prosperity.
Along with that, it was very difficult fitting in at Doane due to my ethnicity. Many students find comfort in being around their specific race, and that it’s easier to create friendships that way. The vast majority of students that attend Doane University are Whites. I’ve come across many that were raised differently and some that carried on traditions from their ancestors. As a person of color, I’ve grown to love my neighbor despite their color of skin and where they come from. In this world today, at times I feel inferior to other races because I don’t have the same privileges as they do. That has yet never stopped my ability to reach my full potential of success in this nation.
During the time of hate, many Whites have defended and sacrificed their rights for the Black community to obtain the same rights as them, and for that, they have dealt with brutal punishments. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people.” Time has always been ordained to all mankind, but freedom has only been fought for by a person of color.
The blog posts in Forward. Together. are intended to foster an inclusive community of empathy and curiosity at Doane University by providing a glimpse into various individual identities and worldviews. These are community members’ unique stories and should not be presumed to be the experience of all who share the same identity.
