During his lifetime Martin Luther King consistently paralleled the experiences of the biblical Children of Israel and the experiences of Africans in America. As a result, he thrust himself into the role of Moses. What I find interesting in these parallels was the ultimate goal of the story. The Children of Israel, after 400 years of bondage, eventually made their way to the Promised Land. This was the message that I believe King was ultimately seeking to get across to those blacks living in the bondage of Jim Crow: One day, you’ll also make it to the Promised Land.

You’re more than familiar with this biblical reference, so there’s no need to expound on it here. However, for those who were born after Jim Crow, today’s American society might seem like a promised land. There are very, very few boundaries placed on today’s black generation. Schools, restaurants, and neighborhoods are generally accessible, if you can afford them. And that’s how it should be. Sadly, there’s still an element of “nastiness” in America. One might not see it often, but every now and then it delivers a gut-punch to remind us that some in this country will never see blacks as social equals.

But this is April 2018. Fifty years after King transitioned this world into immortality. Yes, today’s black community has a far greater lifestyle than that fifty years ago. But just because a community has more money and social status doesn’t necessarily translate to arriving in the Promised Land.

I can accept the historical biblical analogy of King as Moses. But that analogy is the safe historical perception of King. I tend to associate King with another biblical King. A King who saw the distress of his people and preached that salvation was within their reach if they only believed. He talked of a kingdom flowing with milk and honey. Sadly, His followers also believed he was preaching about a physical kingdom, a new Promised Land. He challenged the religious and political leaders of his day and exposed their hypocrisies. In the end, this King gave up his life on an “old rugged cross” but instructed his followers to go out and tell the world what they witnessed.

Fifty years ago this month King gave up his life and wanted his followers to go out and change the world from hate to love. King also challenged the religious and political leaders of his day and challenged their racial hypocrisies. So those of us who have studied and researched virtually every aspect of King’s life and message from Montgomery in 1954 to Memphis in 1968 have an obligation to do just that.

See you soon.

PS: Has anyone seen the President’s taxes yet?