The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, envisioned the way the world could be. “His beloved community was where we live cooperatively, settle differences peacefully and make a table that is big enough for everyone,” said the Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, who spoke at HUP’s annual MLK celebration. “It is where we sit with each other and listen to each other, not simply a place where we just get along.”
Trulear, who is an author, ordained minister and associate professor at Howard University, noted that King was not only about fighting for racial justice but also standing with the poor as well. “He recognized the dignity of all human beings, irrespective of their station in life,” he said. “To honor Dr. King’s memory, we have to take our stance with those who are less fortunate. It’s about building bridges, not walls.”
For King, hope was not wishful thinking; it was an aspiration, a goal. And he found hope in places of suffering, such as prisons. “We too can find hope in places of suffering,” Trulear said. “And we will have to if we are going to form a beloved community.”