January 19, 2009

A message from the Dean in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the most agonizing problems within our human experience is that few, if any, of us live to see our fondest hopes fulfilled.  The hopes of our childhood and the promises of our mature years are unfinished symphonies. 

From one of King’s sermons collected in the book Strength to Love

Today, the day set to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be spent preparing for the inauguration of this nation’s first African-American president.  Regardless of individual political beliefs, one cannot deny the historic significance for all Americans.  As President George W. Bush said in his final news conference on Monday, January 12, 2009, "I consider myself fortunate to have a front-row seat on what is going to be an historic moment for the Country.  President-Elect Obama’s election does speak volumes about how far this Country has come."  In the forty years since Dr. King’s death, the election of Barack Obama occurs in the setting of remarkable achievements of many black Americans in every realm, from the political, to business, to healthcare—the continuation of Dr. King’s unfinished symphony.

Yet forty years after Dr. King’s death, people of color are still represented in the media mostly by stereotypes.  Discrimination still exists, in housing, in education, and in job opportunity.  Black Americans still lack equal access to healthcare.  Further, we are now in a time of profound fiscal crisis, with growing numbers of unemployed and uninsured.  Dr. King taught that moments like these give us opportunities to decide and define who we are: 

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

This is a time of great challenge and also a time of great change, hope and opportunity.  To continue Dr. King’s unfinished symphony, we must renew our commitment to open discussion, to the identification of injustice where it exists and, of greatest importance, to action. 

In this moment, when it is no longer inconceivable that a black man can be President of the United States, we must make it equally inconceivable that a black person does not have equal opportunities everywhere.  This is not a comfortable challenge, but one to which we must aspire.  No matter your race, ethnicity, culture, birth place, gender, or sexual identity, we all can and should identify with Dr. King’s legacy and work to clear the haze of racism and prejudice from our society.

The dream was not only to be a world where the President of the U.S. can be black, but as importantly, a world where all of his human fellows would rally to make him successful.  At the Miller School of Medicine, Jackson, Miami VA and all of our clinics, everyday, we do impact the health and wellness of our community.  Together we can make healthcare a better place for all Americans and beyond.  Together, we can each contribute to the success of our wonderful land, Dr. King’s way.