Traditionally marking Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a celebration of the groundbreaking civil rights leader’s life and legacy, often involves looking at how far this country has come in the last 50 years. Yet, with the drastic increase of overt racism in the past two years, it’s also important to be realistic about that progress. For example, even though King Day became a federal holiday in 1983, some states took longer to recognize the holiday. South Carolina didn’t recognize the holiday until 2000 and three states – Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi – also still observe the day as Robert E. Lee Day. This week, State of Belief host Rev. Welton Gaddy will sit down with the Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, deputy director of Faith in Action and president of the Alliance of Baptists’ Board of Directors, to discuss the Theology of Resistance and what we can learn from Dr. King in 2019.
Hear the full January 19, 2019 State of Belief Radio program here.