The King Center

1/20/25 - MLK Day

A few weeks ago, I was doing some more research on nonviolent action and, of course, sought out the father of nonviolence in our country Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. I’m grateful for the lessons nonviolentaction365 has taught me, and grateful for The King Center. Dr. Bernice A. King has done a beautiful job keeping her father’s legacy and work alive through The King Center. 

Included in the concepts I learned: The King Center considers poverty to be an act of violence.

Poverty is an act of violence. 

When you let this concept infiltrate everything you do and all of the things you see, you begin to witness it everywhere. Supremacist systems set up to keep people down, while oppressors keep power.

One person stuck in the violent sphere of poverty is too many. 

The Almighty Dollar God is ruthless. It awards very few at the expense of many. It has its disciples, It has its followers. It has its battles and its dungeons. It must keep its workforce hungry for nice things, and unable to attain them. It requires ugliness, darkness, and division. It cares only about domination and power. It does not know love.

Poverty is one of Dr. King’s Triple Evils. The other two are Racism, and Militarism (which includes “war, imperialism, domestic violence, rape, terrorism, human trafficking, media violence, drugs, child abuse, violent crime…”)

I have been thinking about the word evil. 

Poverty

Racism

Militarism

These are evils.

Words are powerful. It makes sense to reserve the word evil for specific circumstances, and utilize words such as darkness in many other cases. 

Darkness is the opposite of light and goodness. 

Goodness works in transparency, knowledge, trust, love, community, kindness, joy, and so many more things we each have inside of us.

Evil harnesses darkness and the tools of hatred, division, and oppression. In some cases Its victims can sometimes be good people living in darkness. They do not know better.

These unknowing victims have been used, abused, and fooled. Some are deliberately caged in the dungeons of poverty, and are being constantly held there by distractions and yearnings for a better life. Some are captured by the exhilarating rush of hate and division. Some are trapped because their church and their faith is tied to their community, so they don’t make waves. Some have been fooled into thinking hate is purpose. Some are simply too scared to speak up for injustice. Some are just doing what they're shown or told.

Many people are trapped in the cycles of poverty, racism, and militarism. For them we grieve. For them, we grieve and we fight. In solidarity for all victims of evils.

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On this fateful day, I offer you love and peace. Love hard. Work hard on all things hope and progress. Gather together. Do good. See good. Hear good. Fight for good. Showupforgood. And always remember love wins. It ACTUALLY DOES.

Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in. - Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Much love to you all xoxox