Honoring King's legacy

To observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and holiday in 2007, Bloomington, its residents and IU have a schedule the IDS, Herald-Times, University and city officials have publicized well. The carefully delineated events will poignantly underscore an old Negro spiritual, or song, that says, "We've come a long way, Lord, a mighty long way." \nHowever, in Prophet Jeremiah's words, America still has "a work to do" to shrink varied gaps between racial minorities and whites and to move beyond symbolism into a more meaningful celebration of Dr. King's principles and legacy.\nThat is why we need individual agenda for racial equality and meaningful cross-racial friendships, rooted in Dr. King's contention that "men hate each other because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don't know each other. They don't know each other because they can't communicate with each other. They can't communicate with each other because they're separated from each other." \nDr. King saw integration, for example, as a mechanism to facilitate understanding and racial harmony. That is why we agree that cross-racial relationships can help in establishing a common ground among Bloomington residents. It is time for city residents to get to know their co-workers, neighbors and worshippers of different faiths and go beyond the superficial pleasantries, smiles and hugs. \nOur family of four, for instance, pleasurably celebrated last year's Thanksgiving with Jewish friends. A few weeks after that, we served as fellowships in the home of a Caucasian family from our church. Both were events that have helped to plant seeds of growing friendships. We shared common family and school stories as a way of bridging the racial divide. If others do likewise, people of different races will move from mere racial tolerance to a real sense of kinship, caring and love to help bring about Dr. King's concept of the beloved community. \nAlso, individual actions that are relevant to make such relationships work well are inextricably linked with Dr. King's notion of "power of one," which is the theme of this year's essay topic for IU undergraduate and graduate essays of the King Day Essay Contest, a theme consistent with Dr. King's ideals.\nHence, it is time for all Bloomington residents to work hard with our well-meaning local government officials to modify any institutional practices that go against Dr. King's dream, including institutional discrimination as well as resisting the temptation of turning a blind eye to injustice. Dr. King echoed loudly that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!\nSo, in honor of Dr. King and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the late first lady of the civil-rights movement, everyone should move beyond the symbolism of merely gathering annually to break bread together and talking about "how to get along." Instead, let us engage in very meaningful actions that truly represent Dr. King's nature, his spirit and the society-changing principles that he preached and for which he was murdered young in Memphis.