Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly.
–Proverbs 26:11
There may not be a better symbol just how thorough this nation’s retreat from multi-racial democracy has been than inauguration of an insurrectionist on the holiday honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr–a man this nation murdered. Alabama and Mississippi have also chosen this day to celebrate Robert E. Lee, the general who led the Confederate army in the very first insurrection against the federal government.
I did not bother to “bear witness” to the travesty of inaugurating a convicted felon and thief of classified information. Instead, I read Michael Harriot, who encouraged us “Do not die” in a nation which has made clear it wants us to. I read the eloquent words of Rod Serling about Dr. King after he was assassinated from a letter he wrote to the LA Times on April 8, 1968 (h/t to @lizzslockeroom.bsky.social). Here is an excerpt (also available on goodreads):
In his grave, we praise him for his decency – but when he walked amongst us, we responded with no decency of our own. When he suggested that all men should have a place in the sun – we put a special sanctity on the right of ownership and the privilege of prejudice by maintaining that to deny homes to Negroes was a democratic right.
Now we acknowledge his compassion – but we exercised no compassion of our own. When he asked us to understand that men take to the streets out of anguish and hopelessness and a vision of that dream dying, we bought guns and speculated about roving agitators and subversive conspiracies and demanded law and order. We felt anger at the effects, but did little to acknowledge the causes. We extol all the virtues of the man – but we chose not to call them virtues before his death.
And now, belatedly, we talk of this man’s worth – but the judgement comes late in the day as part of a eulogy when it should have been made a matter of record while he existed as a living force. If we are to lend credence to our mourning, there are acknowledgements that must be made now, albeit belatedly. We must act on the altogether proper assumption that Martin Luther King asked for nothing but that which was his due … He asked only for equality, and it is that which we denied him.
Today is just day one of a years-long parade of indignities this country–especially those in its marginalized communities–will suffer. Mass deportation is coming. Some in leadership of state National Guard troops, having already decided they will be Trump’s Gestapo, are anonymously rationalizing future obedience of illegal orders in the press. A parole program which had temporarily allowed migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to come here has already been terminated. Assaults on birthright citizenship are coming. Further assaults on voting rights are coming. The erasure of trans people is coming. And that’s before we get to the imminent pardons of a great many violent January 6th insurrectionists and their release back into society.
It is cold comfort in this moment, but remembering that black people in this country have survived worse–and following their example–may be the only realistic way forward.