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January 22, 2008

Honoring King at Goshen College

By JESSE DAVIS

Martin Luther King Jr.’s choice to identify himself with the underprivileged and to question the moral viability of capitalism in the United States are part of what gave him the insight to promote new social and cultural values, according to a speech given by theology professor Dwight N. Hopkins at College Mennonite Church Monday morning.

Hopkins was raised in Richmond, Va., where he attended segregated public schools before eventually earning a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a second doctorate from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. His speech, titled “Martin Luther King and the Future of Multicultural America,” focused on King’s history, theology and his lesser known though equally important campaign for the poor.

“Like Dr. King, we too are facing a time of crisis,” Hopkins said. “What is at stake is the entire philosophy on what America should be to all its cultures. We have already seen a radical shift in culture in that a citizen no longer has an obligation to help those not as well off.”

King’s focus on those marginalized by society allowed him to view civil rights, poverty and war as interconnected parts of the same issue of humanity. While politicians were telling King to keep international and domestic issues separate and stick to what he knew, King was forging a powerful idea, one that included not only all colors and creeds, but all nations and people. A human idea.

According to Hopkins, King began to connect power to politics and culture, seeing the unequal distribution of money and power in the United States as a challenge to be overcome by faith and brotherhood. In his description of this stance, Hopkins referenced the saying “I am because we are, and I exist to share with the community.” This idea, which originated in South Africa and is a translation of the term “ubuntu,” was central to King’s beliefs.

“Dr. King believed that all these issues are tied together and that silence was a betrayal of the gospel. For that, he was labeled unpatriotic, a communist sympathizer and a terrorist,” Hopkins said. “He gave his life for this new vision.”

It is only by following his path, Hopkins argues, that we can create the kind of inclusive all-embracing America that we can be proud of.

Hopkins has authored and edited 16 books and more than 75 articles as well as serving as editor or co-editor for 14 publications.



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