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i’ve already made my “official” plea to the church to keep the dream alive, and i’m looking forward to gathering with friends, neighbors, and strangers to stand together for something we believe in, as we do each year. but without fail, each year as we march in the freezing cold january weather, the long walk and the icy wind make me wonder- does any of this really matter? is this making some sort of difference or are we merely walking around and carrying these signs for our own amusement?

cornel west speaks often about the “santa clausification” of our heroes and reformers in the public eye (king, mandela, jesus, etc) who are stripped of their radical potency by a process of pop-cultural transformation that turns them into jolly old guys with gifts in their bags for everyone. it reduces their prophetic words to moral messages of kindness like “let’s just be nice to each other” and “can’t we all just get along?” and so even though my sign might read “end racism, poverty, and war!”, observers may look on and think to themselves, “oh, isn’t that nice?” this is also- coincidentally- how a roman cross, which used to represent a brutal and terrifying method of execution for political prisoners and rebels, can become little more than a ubiquitous, meaningless fashion symbol.

so i’m hopeful that monday’s march will be more than a parade down the catwalk with some trendy lingo, and that its efficacy will be tested in the days, months, and lifetimes beyond the few hours we spend marching together. remembering MLK is not about some political props or a holiday tribute that fades with the dispersing crowds. instead, it’s about allowing the life, voice, and rich tradition of MLK’s radical, prophetic quest for justice to shape your worldview everyday, not just one short, cold day a year in january.

after all, as the character samantha booke persuasively articulates in the great debaters, “the time for justice, the time for equality- is always, always right now.”