First, from Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, “Martin Luther King Jr. on Capitalism.”

I believe the flattening of King’s vision has been intentional, to minimize the breadth of his impact across all sectors of society by falsely limiting it to one racialized group. King was feared by power in the United States not because he spoke up about race, which he did, but because he linked that struggle and the struggle of the poor around the world to militarism and capitalism.

Oligarchs want us fighting one another over things like melanin and national origin, rather than questioning the economic and militaristic model that exploits us all. To divide us along lines of identity is to conquer us, because we are too busy fighting one another to bother fighting the systems of injustice.

“If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she too will go to hell.”

– Martin Luther King in support of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike on March 18th, 1968, two weeks before he was assassinated

Second, from Jermaine Fowler: “The King We Don't Teach.”

Here is what they won’t teach you:

King kept going after hope was gone.

From Birmingham jail, 1963: “Some of us, of course, will die without having received the realization of freedom, but we must continue to sail on our charted course.”

He knew. The next sentence was not despair. It was direction.

What do you do when you see clearly and the seeing changes nothing?

You act anyway.

Despair is obedience. The system doesn’t need you to love it. It needs you to stop.

Hope was never the belief that things would turn out well. Hope was the refusal to let the outcome dictate the action.

Finally, from Sharon Astyk, “If Trump Invokes the Insurrection Act.”

DON'T PANIC.

There are a lot of leaks from the White House and other folks suggesting that Trump is going to use MLK day to invoke the Insurrection Act, and if he doesn't do it today, I'm sure he will soon. He's also moved the 11th Airborne Division, a highly elite unit usually on the front lines in wars, to MN, although there is also speculation that this is a front for an invasion of Greenland, and there's no way of knowing.

DO NOT PANIC

I get that "Martial law" is an anxiety phrase that brings on Mad Max vibes, but the fact is that the Insurrection Act is a. more limited than that and b. they suck at this shit (and that's important.)

So let's talk about what's likely to happen, what you should worry about, and what you should not. But first, don't panic.

Sharon also has this incredible page of pay-what-you-can resources for emergency planning and community care.

I’m sharing these articles because, like me, you might be feeling a pretty big dose of imposter syndrome in the face of, well, everything. Who are we to measure up to these giant moments in history? As I wrote last week, you can’t fix everything (alone) and everything can’t be fixed right now. And yet we hold great power as a collective, when we hold on to what matters and stay focused on what’s needed.

Stop carrying the weight of the impossible.

Instead, carry what you can for one more day. Take a simple action. Prepare. 

Don’t let your panic and rage be used against you. Channel directly from their source—that’s where your strength resides. You’re angry and afraid because you know that your loved ones, and the world, deserve better. That passionate care is fueling your way forward.

All of the above writers have channels to subscribe & support their essential work. You can also become a paid member of Impure Leftist to keep this publication going:

Upgrade now

Take a moment to share this newsletter with your community. So many of us are adrift, riding the line between despair and burnout. There’s a better way! I’m committed to guiding you out of the overwhelm, and into powerful, sustained action. Let’s do this together.

Love,

Nat