Towards Our Beloved Community

As a daughter of Atlanta, Georgia, the place dubbed “The City Too Busy To Hate,” I grew up with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a towering backdrop to my experience as a middle-class African American millennial raised in the South. 

My family would observe every MLK Holiday by tuning in to the annual MLK Commemoration Service at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. We’d be delighted to hear a hometown artist or local pastor play a part in the inspirational service that always felt like the opening ceremony of the new year to help us remember how much this nation has overcome and how much we have yet to overcome. 

My father was a school-aged boy when Dr. King was assassinated. He remembers seeing Dr. King’s mule-drawn wagon carrying Dr. King’s casket as it processed right outside their home on Fair Street and made its way to his alma mater, Morehouse College. He also remembers his parents taking him and his younger brother to “view Dr. King’s body” and pay their respects to Dr. King before his public funeral at Morehouse College. He was a young boy, but he remembers the sadness and anger of the Black people in his family and community who had just lost a hero.  The pain was a harsh blow to a people embarking upon a Sankofa moment of bold celebration of cultural pride, ancestral remembrance, and identity. At a time when the slogan “Black is Beautiful” gained popularity because it recognized the humanity of African Americans, Dr. King’s murder was a terrible reminder of America’s racist and oppressive past and present.

Today, we observe Dr. King’s birthday and reflect on his inspiring life, but most importantly, the audacious movement for racial, social, and economic justice he embodied.

ACPE has begun to reckon with its own unjust past by paying attention to the lessons shared many times over by REM elders. Standing on the shoulders of REM is the thoughtful and persistent leadership of the Anti-Bias Work Group, who have begun to review critical ACPE Certification documents to make sure our training processes are equitable, just, and accessible, and that ACPE is creating a culture of accountability to our diversity, equity, and inclusion values. The Foundation for ACPE has begun to allocate real dollars to initiatives that support historically underrepresented students and ACPE programs with minimal financial resources. The ACPE Advocacy and Curriculum Committees and the Anti-Bias Work Group have curated an insightful collection of webinars through the ACPE 8:46 series and other curricular resources that can help our Educators and Psychotherapists think critically about race, racism, and our work as caregivers and educators. ACPE has done good work to honor Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and service.

And still, there’s more to do.

I encourage all of us to use this MLK National Day of Service to reflect on how our lives may or may not align with Dr. King’s vision of a “beloved community.” For those who carry the extra emotional burden of racial trauma, I hope that today may invite a time of deep rest and restoration, for we are first in a beloved community with ourselves. For others, perhaps today may provide space in your schedule to review some of the anti-racist resources listed above or spend intentional time with one of Dr. King’s writings or speeches. And for others, today may inspire a service opportunity that enrichens the community where you live.

It is my prayer that today gives you courage and strength for the journey ahead.

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Few Resources on King