MLK Statement: Livingston Mayor Shawn Klein

OPINION

The first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day was observed back in 1986. Each year since, the goal has been to use this day as a “day on” with good works done and an acknowledgment of the legacy of Dr. King and the vision he had for all of us. But maybe in no other year, has commemorating MLK Jr Day been as necessary and meaningful as it is this year.

This past May, horrifying video of George Floyd’s murder by a police officer in Minneapolis went viral. That video was further evidence of a long line of atrocities against Black Americans and it struck a match to a tinderbox that set off Black Lives Matter protests across the country and around the world. We all saw the marches on television. They were attended by the old and young, Black and White, and Americans of all religions and backgrounds who had seen enough, who could not take any more.

Watching those protests, brought to mind one of Dr. King’s most stirring quotes. He said: “In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”

So it was with this sentiment in mind that on June 7, my wife, Cindy and I took our sons, Jack and Leo, to the Black Lives Matter protest in Livingston’s Town Center. Again, we saw people of every demographic there, Black, brown, and white. There were students with megaphones and signs, babies in strollers, children in grammar school, and adults and seniors. And they were from Livingston, making it all the more profound because this was our home.

People at the rally were loud, determined and fed up. They had an important message: Black Lives Matter; Injustice will no longer be tolerated. Speakers told their stories of what it is like to live as a member of a minority, here in this community and in the larger world. They spoke passionately of injustices they had witnessed or suffered. Some were speaking out for the first time, compelled by unacceptable crimes. They joined the chorus of voices who were making a difference across the world. Cars honked in solidarity as they drove by. It was an electric atmosphere and my family felt grateful to participate.

As we had been driving over towards Town Center, I had expected to see frustration, and despair. Frankly, we were bringing some of our own with us. And to be sure, those sentiments were widely present at the rally and they had their place. Speakers cried as they told their stories and they looked to those around them, they looked at us asking with their eyes: Do you see us? Do you understand me?

As I left to go home with my family, it occurred to me that the righteous fury I had anticipated seeing had been present. But it was not a bitter, downcast anger, instead it felt like a rising and constructive force. It felt surprisingly like hope.

In Livingston, we work hard to be inclusive. The entire Town Council including Deputy Mayor Ed Meinhardt, and Councilman Michael Vieira, Al Anthony and Rudy Fernandez have all made this a focus. Livingston is incredibly diverse in race, ethnicity and religion. Large swathes of the population have ancestry from every continent. This is the fabric of Livingston and we celebrate it. And this is not just talk, it is how we conduct ourselves. Our town government, our schools and multiple community organizations and committees observe MLK Day every year. We have

Diversity festivals and flag raisings, and this year we have started a new Social Justice committee which seeks to renew and strengthen our commitment to that cause. I am proud to be the Town Council’s liaison to that committee.

I look to our, Police Chief Gary Marshuetz, who is the very model of inclusion which can be held up to the rest of this state and nation. He prioritizes hiring officers of every background and you need only talk to him for a short while before you see that his heart is dedicated to fighting racial injustice. After George Floyd’s murder, it was from Chief Marshuetz I first understood the sentiment that “no one despises a bad cop more than a good cop”. He explained that officers who commit those acts and destroy public confidence in the police set back years of good hard work done by so many. His leadership provides the excellent example that our officers follow and we can all be proud of their work and how they represent our town.

The justice and righteousness of the 2020 rallies are indisputable. But as we all know, whenever a strong point-of-view is publically expressed there is invariably a counter-reaction, especially in these times of separated news sources and on-line echo chambers.

My answer to those who would argue against the BLM sentiment, was perfectly laid out in a photo of a little girl holding a sign that I saw online. The sign said “We said Black Lives Matter, We didn’t say only Black Lives Matter, We know that All Lives Matter but we need your help with #Black Lives Matter because Black lives are in danger.”

In Livingston, we cannot simply walk among others. If we are near each other but remain only casually friendly, we have not done enough. We need to know each other and reinforce our common humanity. We need to advocate for each other and empower each other. We should love each other.

We cannot afford to see the world as “us and them” because it’s just “us” here and we have too many big problems to face in this world, including a pandemic and a climate crisis and whatever else comes next. We cannot afford to be stuck in factions.

And to be clear, there will be those we cannot reach. The extreme racist and anti-Semites participating at the siege on the Capitol need to punished for their crimes and ostracized. Their hate cannot and will not be tolerated.

But the good news is that our younger generations are engaged and involved – they are making their voices heard, like those at the rally here in Livingston. It is inspiring. After attending the rally, my wife and I reflected with our own sons afterwards. Though just in elementary and middle school, they are aware and we will continue to work to keep their eyes and hearts open. They understood that, in the spirit of Dr. King, we need fight injustice, we need make sure that all people have a voice, and that we are listening.