A Dialogue on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

For a long time now, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been more than just mere mortal in our culture.  His courageous work against oppression and his death at the hands of a racist madman have made him a symbol of the triumph of love over hatred and violence.  I once interviewed an elderly black woman about what Martin Luther King Jr. meant to her, and she told me stories of how when she was a girl, she and her family would have to sink down in their car seats and hide as they drove through certain cities in Georgia.  The police in those cities did not want blacks even driving through, and they were notorious for stopping black travelers and mistreating them.  For her, Dr. King’s work was about not having to hide anymore.  A pretty powerful story.

In my hometown, at least, this isn’t an out-dated issue.  Despite the fact that we have a black President, animosity between races is still high, and especially noticeable in the poorer parts of town.  As I interact with people of various races and cultures, I am very grateful for Dr. King and his dream of racial equality.

But as a Christian, I am also a little concerned about how his memory is used in our culture.  At what point does the American dream–even a racially equal one–become another gospel?  I do want my children to know those things about Dr. King.  But I also want them to know that, except for Jesus, heroes in this world are flawed.  And as they get older, I want them to be able to critique not only the man himself, but the narrative our culture has created about him.  Is love really all we need to defeat evil?  Is racial inequality the disease, or is it the symptom of the disease?

A Game: You’re The Editor

Toward that end, I’m offering this video of a classic kids’ book on Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr.  Using high quality writing and art, it presents the good and the bad of our culture’s hero worship of Dr. King.  Since critiquing media messages is critical for survival in our culture, why not take a minute by yourself or with your older kids and consider this presentation.  What you might say if you were an editor looking over this story?  Can you find one positive point and one negative point to share with the author?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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