By At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown
The resounding conviction and commitment in his voice has surpassed time and space to teach us all how to fight for change. Through his ideas, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. passed the torch of equality and justice to future generations. My parents have shared Dr. King’s vision of equality and were actively involved in the civil rights movement. At an early age, they instilled in me Dr. King’s commitment to combating social and economic injustices. Their struggles taught me what it takes to make change and what it costs to fight for change. It is Dr. King’s legacy of civic participation that enabled and inspired me to become an At-Large Member of the DC City Council. Everyday I rely on his and my parent’s blueprint for making positive change in our lives.
Intolerance of Inequality
“ Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nonviolence
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence…” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King taught us that a peaceful demonstration is far more powerful than taking an eye for an eye. Recently, our city suffered a great tragedy. We lost four young girls to domestic violence. Together we mourn the loss of the Jacks family daughters. While acts of violence have too often plagued our city and our nation, they will not deter our spirit. Instinctively District residents understand Dr. King’s lesson that there is power in peace. I believe it was this instinct that inspired a candlelight vigil outside of the Jacks family home. I was humbled to be among them and will fight peacefully with them to prevent innocent children from falling prey to crime and violence.
Dr. King also taught us that to be nonviolent does not mean to be inactive. Instead, we are called to action. Last year, as testament to this principle the National Action Network united citizens from around the country in Freedom Plaza to fight for equality in the justice system and to spread a message of hope in the battle against hate crimes. Thousands participated in the March Against Hate Crimes and once again demonstrated the everlasting power of a peaceful protest.
Faith
“Now I say to you today my friends, even though we face difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Throughout his fight for equality, while suffering through great persecution, Dr. King taught us how to embrace hope through faith. From the letters written while in the Birmingham jail to the “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King restored the hope that we can become one. With great love for our city, I desire to encourage others to have faith in that dream. As a husband, father, and City Councilmember I continue to look for ways to encourage our next generation of leaders to press forward; to look beyond the perceived confines of their environment and beyond the perceived limitations imposed on us by society.
Dr. King’s legacy charges us with a responsibility to empower our generation and stand for “things that matter.” With this knowledge, we must passionately carry the torch of equality and justice. With the power of ideas, we can overcome oppression through nonviolence. With the power of faith, we can move mountains. Empowered by his legacy, we can use our voices to provoke change and knowing that if we only dare to dream, we can change the world.
