MLK Day more than ‘just social service’
Rev. Lowery hopes King’s desire for change not lost in holiday observance
By Juan-Pablo Velez
CHICAGO — Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the towering figures of the civil rights movement, had some pointed words about policy questions facing the United States, even as he honored Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. last Thursday at the University.
In his keynote speech at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, Lowery urged an audience of more than 200 people to become "chaplains of the common good" by applying King's message to the problems of our society and of the world.
"The great danger that we face today, which I hasten to call to your attention, is that we are attempting to put Martin on some rotunda of sentimental irrelevance," Lowery said. "Martin's message and the meaning of the holiday lose their power when we don't apply the moral purpose to public policy and private practice."
In an analysis marked by a mix of alacrity, eloquence, and humor, Lowery outlined several areas in need of guidance by King's principles.
"We need to apply the principles and purposes of the ministry of Martin to matters of international relations, which tell us in no uncertain terms that there is no military solution to the crisis in the Middle East," Lowery said.
Lowery, who gave the benediction Tuesday at President Barack Obama's inauguration, expressed his opposition to using war as a tool for peace in places where military solutions are impossible. He called for those assembled to push for an end to the violence and destruction wrought by the invasion of Iraq, and for politicians to seek diplomatic solutions to international problems.
"We're plagued today by escalating poverty on the one hand, and a small group of folks getting rich on the other," Lowery stated.
Lowery said insufficient focus was given to poverty during the campaign. He called for a discussion of equitable wages and explained that applying King’s message meant pushing the nation to grapple with the issue of the moral nature of poverty.
Lowery also brought up the disproportionate number of blacks in the criminal justice system. Lowery spoke of education as holding "the key to unlocking pathways out of the pits of poverty" while pointing out that the poorest neighborhoods have the poorest schools. He feared that affirmative action is threatened and affirmed his support for intentional efforts to close the gap in the workplace.
"Martin said there is no path to fulfillment for white people that don't intersect the path to fulfillment for black people. We inextricably tied together ... and so we need to turn to each other, not on each other," Lowery said.
