Green Martin Luther King Jr.

As we continue to try to solve the problems caused by global warming, we should realize that not all activists are those who live today. Many past intelligent minds and powerful leaders too saw the importance of taking care of the environment.

Today the United States observes the birthday of one history’s great leaders.  Martin Luther King Jr. preached equality under the law and nonviolence during a time of racial discrimination, segregation, and war. Some of his philosophies and beliefs also are in step with environmental movements. In fact, King Jr. can be considered as one of many famous historical environmentalists, despite living in a time where global warming was not an known issue.

In 1963 he led an historic March on Washington and gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.  Years later he gave another speech which many regard as a call to take care of the environment. “I’m convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world
revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.
We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a
person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives
and property rights are considered more important than people, the
giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are
incapable of being conquered.”

Many people interpret his words as an admonition of consumerism and a need for people to continually possess material goods. He states that when we fail to place greater importance on people we can succumb as a society.  He stresses we not only take care of each other, but take care of ourselves.

Dexter Scott King, second son of Martin Luther King Jr., born in 1961, heeds his fathers words to this day. He is an animal rights activists and practicing vegan. He has said, “If you’re violent to yourself by putting [harmful] things into your
body that violate its spirit, it will be difficult not to perpetuate
that [violence] onto someone else. I have no doubt that it
is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement,
to leave off eating animals.”

As we reflect on the influences, messages, and the life of Martin Luther King Jr. today and in the days to come, we should remember that peace, health and equality do not only exist in political realms.  Living healthy means taking care of yourself, those around you, and the environment. What’s more, the green movement isn’t solely related to the environment. It means taking up political, social, and cultural causes that lead to a healthy living and greater humanity for all.

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