Each January, we pause to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His words are quoted widely yet often stripped of context and softened into something more comfortable, more palatable, less demanding.
But Dr. King’s message was never meant to be comfortable.
Too often, he’s remembered only through a single refrain, “I have a dream”, without reckoning with the truth that came before it or the risk that followed. To truly honor Dr. King, we must remember not only his hope, but his urgency. Not only his vision, but his call to action.
The Words and Legacy of Dr. King
In Dr. King’s most famous speech, it takes nearly twelve minutes before he even speaks the words “I have a dream.” The first eleven minutes are a searing indictment of American injustice — a rebuke of systemic racism, economic exploitation, police brutality, and the violent oppression of Black Americans.
He speaks plainly about what is at stake. He names the suffering, the danger, and the cost of resistance. He doesn’t promise safety — he acknowledges that people will be harmed and that some may even lose their lives. And still, he insists on imagining a future that does not yet exist. A future that must be fought for so that it can be dreamed into being.
When Dr. King says, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair,” it’s not denial — it’s defiance. It’s a refusal to accept despair as the final word.
This matters because Dr. King himself was widely unpopular in his time — particularly among white Americans and so-called moderates who urged patience over progress. He was surveilled, imprisoned, threatened, and violently attacked for his beliefs. Courage, as Dr. King lived it, meant standing up for what was right even and especially when the stakes were dire.
It is always easier to be on the right side of history after the fact. Dr. King calls us to choose courage in the present.
From Dreaming to Action
Dr. King was one of the greatest orators in history, but his vision was never about words alone. It was about active participation. It was about ordinary people, neighbors alongside neighbors, choosing to show up and fight for one another.
He warned against what he called “the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,” reminding us of “the fierce urgency of now.” Progress, he taught, is not inevitable. It is hard-fought and made possible only through sustained, collective action.
Dr. King’s message asks us not only what we believe, but how we act on those beliefs within community.
At a time when many people feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or incapacitated by fear, his words offer both clarity and challenge. As he asked in what would become his final speech: What happens if we do nothing? What happens — not to us — but to those most impacted if we choose comfort over responsibility?
“That’s the question before you tonight. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job?” Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?” The question is not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?” The question is, “If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?” That’s the question.”
Take Action
Action doesn’t require perfection, it simply requires following through on the values you espouse. Action might look like:
- Supporting people and organizations rooted in your community directly through mutual aid and donations. Click here to view our list of current grantees and filter by state to learn more about the organizations in your community.
- Volunteering time, skills, or care where it’s needed most.
- Checking in on neighbors — especially those who are isolated or under-resourced
- Calling or emailing your local, state, and federal representatives about a specific issue impacting LGBTQ+ communities. 5 Calls is a website and app that makes it easy to identify and contact your representatives.
- Signing on to advocacy alerts or action networks that provide scripts, talking points, updates, and trainings. Organizations like ACLU of Idaho, Gender Justice League, Lavender Rights Project, and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network are just a few examples of organizations that share advocacy alerts and ways to stay engaged.
As Dr. King reminded us, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Our struggles are interconnected. This work isn’t just about one corner of our community — it’s about all of us, and we each have a role to play in this movement.
Carrying Action Beyond January
Dr. King reminds us that revolution is not a moment, it’s a practice. As we move into a new year and a new chapter in history, we invite you to choose one way to stay engaged beyond this moment. One action. One relationship. One commitment you will carry forward.
Dr. King believed that “everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” The work before us now is to take his words seriously and to meet this moment with courage, clarity, and action.
Together.