Staying true to the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a new century means focusing on bringing more people of color into the emerging technology and finance sectors.
That was the message from CNN host and contributor Van Jones in his keynote remarks made at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Hale Black Cultural Center's 50th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. virtual event January 25th. During the 45-minute conversation with moderator Dr. Lori Patton Davis, Jones said King's movement must be upgraded for our digital age.
“Dr. King was so far ahead of his time, I think he would want us to stay ahead,” said Jones, a three-time New York Times best-selling author. “What is the Black future? There is no Black future that doesn't deal with two things: Pushing back on the prison system, pushing back on police brutality, pushing back on racism. But pushing forward using the tools that are available in technology and finance.”
Calling the new century one based on “commerce and communication,” Jones said young people of color must move from being consumers to creators of technology. “Let us not be so committed to marching against the bad stuff that we don't prepare our young people to build more of the good with technology and finance,” Jones said.
Opening the program was the African-American Voices Gospel Choir as well as commentary on the importance of King's legacy from Black student activists. “The results of Dr. King's work are everywhere,” said Shayanna Hinkle-Moore, president of the Black Student Association. “Dr. King often preached about radical love, and it's so important in this time for us to lead with love, because the work we are doing is so taxing on our minds and spirits.”
King's challenge to us in today's age is to incorporate a greater humanity into our data-driven world, according to Jones. “I think what Dr. King would challenge us on is to move beyond protest, beyond non-violent direct action—how are we creating a new human civilization that is more at peace with itself and at peace with the earth?”