Shifting Our Mindsets from Dread to a Dream

It is not lost on me, the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day coinciding with the inauguration day of Donald J. Trump. As a Black queer man living in Texas, the day embodies contradictions—a time for appreciation for one of our country’s most profound voices for liberation, as well as a stark reminder that a voice that symbolizes oppression for so many is being simultaneously lauded.

For many, this juxtaposition symbolizes a broader tension—a celebration of progress intertwined with a sobering reminder of the work still ahead. On one hand, we honor the enduring legacy of Dr. King and his selfless commitment to justice and equality. On the other, we brace for a political landscape that threatens to return America to its so-called “former glory”—a glory that many of us know all too well was built on the exclusion and oppression of people like me.

Living and working in the South, I’m acutely aware that the specters of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism are not distant memories. They are tangibly woven into the fabric of our lives, as are homophobia and transphobia. These prejudices are not relics of the past buried deep beneath our feet; they walk with us everywhere we go. This hate has been revitalized and glorified in recent years. People and even politicians meant to represent us feel emboldened to denounce our communities publicly, and safe spaces to shield us from this hate are shrinking. We can see this erosion is compounded by platforms like Meta lifting hate speech rules, allowing for the open derision of our identities. We can feel this with some of our states’ schools eliminating the study of LGBTQ history. We can experience this with DEI programs being demolished by major corporations. We can hear it even when it is quiet, like funding for Black and LGBTQ initiatives being silently rolled back. Yet, we endure. Dr. King’s dream remains alive within us, a beacon of hope that guides us through these challenges. The efforts to silence our voices, erase our experiences, and strip away our communities will not prevail.

Dr. King’s legacy demands more than passive admiration; it requires active participation. Resist hatred with love, confront despair with hope, and strive toward the eternal “oughtness” of a just society.

Our stories, our histories, and our communities will endure. We will lift each other up, ensuring that our voices are heard and our legacy preserved. Together, we will come together like never before to achieve the long overdue liberation.

Dr. King once said, “The time is always right to do what is right,” and those words ground my hope. Even as we see institutions—companies, government bodies, and individuals—succumbing to harmful ideologies that marginalize and threaten us, I choose to believe in the power of allies who will continue the fight for equality. Integrity demands consistency, even when it is met with resistance.

Politics are a pendulum, swinging from far left to far right over the decades. My rights as a Black queer person have often been treated as a political pawn, used to curry favor or incite fear. Yet, despite the political gamesmanship, we remain standing—unswayed and undeterred. We are operating from a place of unwavering purpose that transcends the chaos and seeks lasting progress, and I firmly believe that the next four years will wake us from a slumber of status quo and invigorate us to activate.

Last year, amid heightened tensions for Black and queer folks in my state, I gathered voices from our community for a workshop. Together, we created the documentary They Ain’t Coming to Save Us, a poignant reminder of the power of self-empowerment. Through activism, storytelling, history, compassion, and community, we possess the tools necessary to build the safety and support that legislation and societal systems have stripped away. This gathering of Black queer voices reaffirmed a truth that is both empowering and sobering—we must save ourselves.

Dr. King once said, “I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.” My hope in humanity endures because I witness the compassion that exists even among those who have every reason to turn away. On a daily basis, I witness individuals who inspire me to keep believing. Throughout my travels with The Normal Anomaly Initiative, I meet and speak with folks who put love into the world even when the world has shown them nothing but hate. They remind me that empathy is not extinct; it only needs to be rekindled. Dr. King understood this unwavering truth, declaring that “darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

On this day of reflection, these words call us to action—not just to honor Dr. King but to live out his vision daily. When he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he declared, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

This belief must sustain us. We can weather political and social storms, but we must also build a shelter together—one that safeguards dignity and humanity for all. Dr. King’s legacy demands more than passive admiration; it requires active participation. Resist hatred with love, confront despair with hope, and strive toward the eternal “oughtness” of a just society.

Today, I ask you to recommit yourself not only to equality but to compassion. Our survival, our stories, and our communities depend on it. Together, we will ensure that Dr. King’s dream becomes a lived reality.