50 years after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, a call by religious leaders to act Let Easter be a reminder of our moral responsibilities to end racism, brutality

W. Darin Moore | Opinion contributor

Show Caption Hide Caption 5 great Martin Luther King Jr. quotes Historical comments by the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. PBS special on black America since his assassination is due in November.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is ever-present in our nation’s struggle to reconcile our cultural and historical identity: His life’s work remains a testament to our relentless pursuit of justice.

Fifty years after his assassination, we are still grappling with the same, familiar hard truths King confronted, the injustices that he resisted, and the yet unfinished work for which he paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Racism is as much a driving force in our politics, culture and society as it was on the day of King’s assassination. In 2017, more black people died at the hands of the police than the number of black people who were lynched in the worst year of Jim Crow.

A sweeping study by the Census Bureau provides new evidence for the “punishing” reach of racism, showing that black boys raised at the top of the economic ladder, unlike their white peers, are more likely to become poor than to stay wealthy in their own adulthoods. From harmful stereotypes in the media to police brutality and hiring discrimination, racism continues to affect people of color every day.

On April 4, the 50th anniversary of King's assassination, the National Council of Churches and our coalition of more than 50 partners will bring thousands to the National Mall for the A.C.T. (awaken, confront and transform) to End Racism Rally. This rally is just the beginning of a multi-year campaign — and life-long commitment — to acknowledge America’s racist past, confront our racist present and take transformative, long-lasting action to end racism.

For people of color, justice cannot wait. We don’t need empty hand-holding or to sing Kumbaya.

It is also premature for meaningful reconciliation. America cannot reconcile what it has yet to acknowledge. As a nation, we must first awaken ourselves to the enduring impacts of slavery and the ugly resilience of systemic racism.

Just last week in Sacramento, police shot Stephon Clark, a black man, as he was standing in his grandmother’s back yard. One of the officers screamed "gun, gun, gun." But Clark wasn't armed. He was holding a cellphone. We’ve fallen egregiously short in heeding King’s call. It’s on us now to pick up the torch that he and the civil rights leaders who came before us have passed on.

For white people, that means acknowledging privilege, having difficult conversations within your circles of influence, and fighting for reparative justice alongside your brothers and sisters of color. Then we can begin to realize authentic, enduring reconciliation. This will be hard work, but it is the nation's work to do.

As we celebrate Easter, we celebrate the triumph of life: mercy prevails, love wins and evil does not have the last word. Easter is a reminder of our moral responsibility to end systemic racism, and an opportunity for us to confront our own culpability in perpetuating racism within ourselves, our churches and our communities.

Yes, the moral arc of the universe is long. It will only bend toward justice as we act to confront the forces that are holding it back.

W. Darin Moore, chairperson of the governing board of the National Council of Churches, is an AME Zion bishop.