Black millennial pens a letter to President Trump.
“Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was.” – @realDonaldTrump President Trump, around this time of year, I am assigned the same reading — Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. However, as I was reading it this year, it took on a new meaning and became more personal to me, partially because of your inauguration. It is time to address you as President Trump, and I can only hope that you can and will channel Dr. King’s spirit of activism, interconnectedness, and equality.
We are all brothers and sisters
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
President Trump, I hope that you realize that you are not only responsible for those who elected you, but also for those who were terrified of the idea of your victory — those like me whose election night was filled with tears and anxiety attacks. I genuinely worry about my brothers and sisters, whether they be straight or gay, natural-born or immigrant, healthy or ill, black or white. I plead that you realize as Americans, all of us are connected. Where injustice is, we band together to fight for change. I realize that fighting for change is exactly what you did, but I worry that the change you will bring about will not be positive.
We Will Fight For Freedom
“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail
President Trump, you celebrated Dr. King, but I do not believe that you realize your role in carrying on the oppression that he fought to end. I respect you, because you are now my President, but I have concerns. As a sexual assault survivor, an ally to the LGBT+ community, a woman, and an African-American, I am disgusted by some of the comments you and Vice President Pence have made. No man, regardless of the amount of money he has, has the right to grab my vagina. Conversion therapy is not okay; it is a gross violation of basic human rights. There is more to me than my outward appearance, and my talents and skills are not discredited because of my gender. I have everything to lose; my family and I have worked hard to achieve success in a society where people such as you have demeaned us, insulted us, and powered over us until we have no choice but to fight.
We trust that justice will always prevail
“Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” – Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail
President Trump, I genuinely hope that you are able to keep in mind the needs of the minorities and historically oppressed. Even if you are not, I am trusting that justice will always prevail. Whether it comes in the form of your presidency or a second Civil Rights Movement, as Dr. King said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Sincerely, A Black Millennial
Read more: What does it mean to be black in America?