Just hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, thousands across the country joined to celebrate the life and late birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Denver’s own celebration— known as the MLK Marade (march + parade)— was greeted with a frosty start at City Park. The opening ceremony took place alongside the Martin Luther King Memorial, honoring his cherished legacy. Even with temperatures in the single digits, hundreds of Denverites showed up for a morning of speeches by notable figures, such as Major Mike Johnston and other community leaders, to lead the crowd on its’ march to Civic Center Park. Groups such as Servicios de La Raza and Freedom Road Socialist Organization were amongst the thousands, gathered to represent the vast array of voices continuing King’s vision.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known in American history as a pioneer for Civil Rights and is revered even 50 years after his death. He fought for the rights of voting, desegregation, and labor for disenfranchised Americans. Although his contribution to political activism is well understood, other parts of his philosophies have been scrubbed of undesirable ideas, particularly about the growing inequity of wealth distribution. In the last few years of his life, King became much more outspoken about his dissatisfaction of the global economic institutions, arguing that the “evil” of poverty was an intrinsic part to many of the racial issues he fought so hard to counter. As the ideas he held became more threatening to the institutions that had their hand in power, he became a problem for those who were (and continue to be) complicit in the suffering of marginalized Americans.
And, as he became more outwardly radicalized, he was assassinated. The retelling of American history tends to buff out the rough edges of our development, and MLK’s legacy is no different. He was a fierce advocate for the material and capital gains of those who otherwise are disregarded by the American political institution and an outspoken supporter of socialism. However, these more “radical” ideas have been sanitized to be more palatable to the common American, destroying a man who was personally committed to human liberation, including that of monetary means. He was promoted to become the most peaceful and reasonable of non-white revolutionaries in the 60’s to discourage young people from disturbing American political order. His political turmoil is not one to be weaponized to promote colorblindness: his vision was deliberately manipulated to be the “all well-doing” man who stayed within the confines of the law.
On a day that is normally one of celebration, appreciation, and continued education of the work that Dr. King did for civil rights, Trump was inaugurated as president, marking the return of overtly bigoted politics to the U.S. It is no surprise that MLK’s legacy was overshadowed, yet again, by the intentions of powerful white people.
Even so, Denver’s passion for human rights provided solace on a day that confronted many with unsure feelings about this country’s future. Attendees of the Marade shouted, “THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE,” along Colfax as the heartbeat of the continued resistance echoed through the city. Even in the wake of Trump’s first day of destruction, those committed to the resilience of the people will continue to fight as MLK had originally intended.
Photos by Juju Read
