Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of freedom, equality, and justice is still alive, and people need to get involved and work together for civil rights, scholar and activist Funmilola Fagbamila told a crowd of Concordia College students gathered to hear her speak on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Due to inclement weather, Fagbamila, a Nigerian-American scholar, activist, and writer, could not give her address in person but instead gave her presentation virtually, speaking about King himself, the context in which he lived, and what it means to be an activist.
Fagbamila quoted King’s statement that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” emphasizing the mutuality and interconnectedness of all people, and how critical it is to be embedded in the work of community.
“What is our own individual task, which is to be a thoughtful, considerate, and even when possible, when you have the capacity, to be a helpful community member?” she asked, encouraging people to be activists, organizers, and change-makers themselves rather than watching or even praising others for their work.
During his lifetime, King was criticized for nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and, in “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he replied to his detractors.
“You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being. I am sure that each of you would want to go beyond the superficial social analyst who looks merely at effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. I would not hesitate to say that it is unfortunate that so-called demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham at this time, but I would say in more emphatic terms that it is even more unfortunate that the white power structure of this city left the Negro community with no other alternative,” King wrote.
Fagbamila noted that during his time, King and other Civil Rights activists were considered extreme, despite their nonviolence and careful engagement with others. She showed the crowd images of black and white people sitting together at a lunch counter during a protest, being harassed and threatened by a hostile crowd.
“To this day, it is not what color you are,” Fagbamila said. “It is what your intention, what your ideology, what your commitment is, that determines whether or not you’re going to be engaging … on the right side of history.”
Concordia College’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day also included a variety of other opportunities to learn, including a performance by comedian Chinedu Unaka, breakout sessions on various topics, and a panel discussion on the theme selected for 2024, “Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream,” featuring four Cobbers — students Fanan Nizam and Alisha Debleye and staff members Sunet Rubaclava and Heidi Rogers.