Yes, We’ve Been Here Before, and Past Insights Can Provide Present Solutions

Americans must reject their addiction to lying and denial

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

On January 20, 2025, I gave the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Keynote Address at Grand View University. In my address, I tried to present as clearly as possible how observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the U.S. presidential inauguration on the same day presents Americans with diametrically opposing visions for America. One vision is a “Dream” that looks forward to promoting an inclusive future, and the other vision is a nightmare that looks backward to reclaim an exclusive past.

Here’s Why I Have Finally Come to Appreciate The Title “Dreamer” for Martin Luther King, Jr.

A return to pre-Civil Rights America

Among the flurry of executive orders since his inauguration, on day one, Trump issued an executive order prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, especially within the federal government. Trump also passed an order rescinding a Civil Rights-era policy that has helped protect millions of workers from discrimination. Trump’s order revoked the Equal Employment…