01/20/2025
Today, we celebrate the life and birth of Martin Luther King Jr. We celebrate his legacy as a radical activist and anti-imperialist, who rightfully saw militarism, capitalism and fascism as the root causes of injustice in our society, and across the world.
While his calls for nonviolence and peace are often shared wildly, and remain incredibly powerful guides and tools for us all, his words that critique the government, military and capitalism are far too often ignored.
In his famous speech The Three Evils of Society, King stated: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
As the US continues to fund the Israeli military’s murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians, these words could not ring truer today. The foundations of the Israeli state—Zionism, racism, and supremacy—are part and parcel of the global systems of imperialism that oppresses people around the world.
In the words of lives:
“As we resist the fascist leaders of Israel who are committing genocide against the Palestinian people, we remind our selves that across the world, no human deserves genocide and oppression. Just like we continue to fight for the collective liberation of Black people who deserve the opportunity to be free, to thrive, to feel safe in our homes, communities, bodies, so do our siblings in Palestine.”
May we strive to live by these as we continue to fight for the liberation of Palestinians—and for all people. A better world is possible.
