MLK Knew That Change Began With Individuals
January 13, 2012 | | USA Today | Rich Benjamin
As we commemorate one of this country's greatest icons on Monday, we need to toss aside the "great man" concept of leadership, our knee-jerk longing to worship epic individuals and not citizen action. Contrary to most mythology of Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations, his true contribution wasn't as a single messiah of civil rights but as a formidable organizer of people and causes.
"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus," King said.
Once a grueling cause was identified, King knew that every person counted. There was strength in numbers and in a broad, collective front. As the election season kicks into high gear, we cannot wait and hope that we'll elect a president or members of Congress who can fix all of our problems. Americans must become the leaders we desperately lack. Individuals must strategize, demand, protest and band together to work toward the national improvements that are so clearly needed.
Look around. Our country is suffering from a crisis of leadership. The economy is sputtering, millions remain jobless, and yet the president and Congress seem incapable of action. At the start of 2012, less than half of Americans (46%) approved of the job President Obamais doing. Not surprisingly, Congress' approval rating is worse: 11%, a record low. Kowtowing to partisanship and career survival in an election year, politicians in both parties have abandoned governing in favor of chronic gamesmanship.
King did not play games.
In the coming days, though we will be reminded about the inspiring flourishes of King's sermons, his ultimate genius rested in the millions of citizens he inspired to work the trenches, above and beyond partisan politics, to achieve widespread, lasting change.
Americans can still accomplish great things independent of Washington. Every day, new entrepreneurs start small businesses that create jobs or launch private-public partnerships that bolster community-based services or establish non-profits to help those in need. Volunteerism, public service, entrepreneurship, voting and protest: These are the engines of collective leadership.
Whatever the bold action, the vital point remains: We can't afford to wait, any less than blacks could in the 1950s, expecting leaders actually to lead. The rising stakes preclude the passive approach of seeking out heroes, rather than taking matters into our own hands. To honor King, this is the message that should occupy our hearts.