So where do we go from here? This is how Naomi Murakawa, Princeton Professor of African-American studies, puts the challenge for our generation:
If the problem of the 20th century was, in W.E.B. Du Bois’s famous words, “the problem of the color line,” then the problem of the 21st century is the problem of colorblindness, the refusal to acknowledge the causes and consequences of enduring racial stratification.
I believe that, if Martin Luther King could speak today, he would have a very specific challenge for our generation: it’s time for us to move from color-blind to color-courageous.
How To Become Color-Courageous
Color-courageous disciples choose to “see” color for the sake of cultivating biblical racial equity. They acknowledge difference in an effort to experience a richer community—a beloved community.
Many people know that Dr. King had a dream, but most probably could not precisely identify what that dream was. Increasingly, towards the end of his life, King was clear: his dream was “beloved community.” King said:
I do not think of political power as an end. Neither do I think of economic power as an end. They are ingredients in the objective that we seek in life. And I think that end of that objective is a truly brotherly society, the creation of the beloved community.
And here’s the thing: beloved community is not color-blind, but color-courageous. Color-courageous disciples do not ignore ethnic differences. They understand that ethnicity is a unique, God-given component of each person’s identity. They celebrate ethnic diversity, knowing that God designed ethnic diversity as a means to bring glory to himself and enrichment to his kingdom. Yet, at the same time, color-courageous disciples also seek to proactively address difference that is destructive—including differences caused by systemic racism. They seek to dismantle racial inequity wherever it exists in order to build beloved community. And they do all of this courageously, knowing that they will most likely encounter profound resistance in the pursuit of racial equity.
Of course, we know that ultimately King’s dreams derived from God’s dreams for what our kingdom community would look like. And when we look closely at the Scriptures, we’ll discover that God is not colorblind, either! When we review the biblical narrative with clear eyes, we’ll rediscover God’s passion for ethnic diversity and justice from beginning to end.
As we continue to carry on Dr. King’s legacy in our generation, let’s dispel the myth that King was color-blind. King wasn’t color-blind; he was color-courageous. And I believe that if he could speak today, he would be urging our church and our society on toward a more color-courageous future.
Portions of this article first appeared on the Missio Alliance blog. Used with permission.
