As we recognize and celebrate the birthday of Dr. King, I believe his words and actions are no less relevant today than they were over forty years ago. In particular his actions. I know I will never be the orator that he was, but I can be a similar active, participating force, an agent for change, a contributor to peace and nonviolence. In voicing his commitment to nonviolence, he said “If I am the last, lone voice speaking for nonviolence, that I will do.” And so the relevant question today is “am I willing to be the last, lone voice speaking for nonviolence”? Am I willing to express my deep desire for peace? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to never give up hope, never give up the message, never submit to apathy, never to say “oh, let THEM take care of it”?
Because what I see today, and I think Dr. King saw in his day, too many people are too quick to say “I don’t have time”, “What difference could it make?”, “My friends/family don’t agree”.
You see, those committed to the power of nonviolence see it as a philosophy of life, not simply a method of social change. Those committed to the power of nonviolence see its relevance to their personal conduct and credo in everyday life. Those committed to the power of nonviolence stand in the face of bigotry and anger and hatred and injustice with the courage to show another way, and model what real freedom is.
Dr. King challenged us to work for a greater humanity, for something greater than ourselves as individuals. So what are you doing to meet this challenge, to honor his legacy? What are you doing with not just the dream he left, but with the love and the faith to act?
Yes, I am challenged every day to act in integrity, to be a voice speaking for nonviolence. And sometimes I fail, but more often the universe confirms it is the right thing to do. Dr. King is gone, taken from us by an act of violence, the very thing he dedicated his life to change. But he left us a challenge, to step up to the plate and do our part; what are you doing to honor the challenge, to create a better world? When you look in the mirror in the morning, do you recognize the one person who can leave the world a better place than she found it? If not, why not?
If you are truly committed to peace and nonviolence, then live in that integrity. Stand up for what you believe. Raise your voice! Be the last, lone voice speaking for nonviolence. If I don’t, who will? If you don’t, who will?
Truthout Is Preparing to Meet Trump’s Agenda With Resistance at Every Turn
Dear Truthout Community,
If you feel rage, despondency, confusion and deep fear today, you are not alone. We’re feeling it too. We are heartsick. Facing down Trump’s fascist agenda, we are desperately worried about the most vulnerable people among us, including our loved ones and everyone in the Truthout community, and our minds are racing a million miles a minute to try to map out all that needs to be done.
We must give ourselves space to grieve and feel our fear, feel our rage, and keep in the forefront of our mind the stark truth that millions of real human lives are on the line. And simultaneously, we’ve got to get to work, take stock of our resources, and prepare to throw ourselves full force into the movement.
Journalism is a linchpin of that movement. Even as we are reeling, we’re summoning up all the energy we can to face down what’s coming, because we know that one of the sharpest weapons against fascism is publishing the truth.
There are many terrifying planks to the Trump agenda, and we plan to devote ourselves to reporting thoroughly on each one and, crucially, covering the movements resisting them. We also recognize that Trump is a dire threat to journalism itself, and that we must take this seriously from the outset.
After the election, the four of us sat down to have some hard but necessary conversations about Truthout under a Trump presidency. How would we defend our publication from an avalanche of far right lawsuits that seek to bankrupt us? How would we keep our reporters safe if they need to cover outbreaks of political violence, or if they are targeted by authorities? How will we urgently produce the practical analysis, tools and movement coverage that you need right now — breaking through our normal routines to meet a terrifying moment in ways that best serve you?
It will be a tough, scary four years to produce social justice-driven journalism. We need to deliver news, strategy, liberatory ideas, tools and movement-sparking solutions with a force that we never have had to before. And at the same time, we desperately need to protect our ability to do so.
We know this is such a painful moment and donations may understandably be the last thing on your mind. But we must ask for your support, which is needed in a new and urgent way.
We promise we will kick into an even higher gear to give you truthful news that cuts against the disinformation and vitriol and hate and violence. We promise to publish analyses that will serve the needs of the movements we all rely on to survive the next four years, and even build for the future. We promise to be responsive, to recognize you as members of our community with a vital stake and voice in this work.
Please dig deep if you can, but a donation of any amount will be a truly meaningful and tangible action in this cataclysmic historical moment.
We’re with you. Let’s do all we can to move forward together.
With love, rage, and solidarity,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy