Welcome to iHeartRadio Communities, a public affairs special focusing on the biggest issues impacting you. This week, here's Ryan Gorman. Thanks so much for joining us here on iHeartRadio Communities. I'm Ryan Gorman, and we have a very important conversation lined up for you. I'm joined now by Martin Luther King, the third chairman of the Drum Major Institute, and Andrea Waters King, President of the Drum Major Institute. You can learn more about this organization at drum majornst
dot org. And they're with me ahead of Martin Luther King Junior day. I want to thank you both so much for taking a few minutes to come on the show. And Martin, let me start with you doctor King's legacy, if you were to break that down for all of those listening, and I'm sure they've learned a lot about doctor Martin Luther King Junior over the years, but his legacy, what it means to you and the impact that it's still having to this day. Well, first of all, thank you for
the opportunity to share. We're honored to be with you. Let me say this observance, and I say observance as opposed to celebration, my father would have been ninety five years old, and also it happens to fall on his actual birthday. The federal holiday is the third Monday of every January, and that follows sometimes on the twentieth, twenty first, all the way down about
seven years it falls on his actual birthday. So this is the uniqueness of this particular anniversary and the fact that he would have been ninety five years old. And the question ben, how does this relate to our society today in relationship to young people, into our society in general. Dad and Mom wanted to create a society where love and justice and equality existed for all human beings. And we are at the intersection of one of the most divided periods in
the history of our nation. Not the political process. That's the tonin good bet or different it does. This political civility is temporarily off, So somehow we must bring that back into the pole so that the dream that my father envision can in fact be realized. I think most kids know I have a
dream, and they have a view of what it means to them. But then there are many of us who understand that the trajectory that we were headed towards seems to have been intercepted to some degree, so that we are temporarily not making the kind of progress in our society that we should Dad and mom and Dad I should take talk specifically about ending the triple evils. He identified
them as the evil of poverty, racism, and bigotry and violence. So we're still at that quest fifty six almost years since his death, because on April it will be fifty six years. So how do we eradicate poverty, how do we get rid of racism, put it behind us for once in broad? How do we suppress or begin to reduce violence. And that's a huge quest, but it takes all of us to be engaged. It's not one person, it's not one organization. It's all of us having a common
agenda that we're going to make this society a better society. One of the things we're doing this year and over the next five years is we're launching an initiative for volunteerism. The King Holiday is a day on, not a day off, And this is largely about young people, but it really is for anybody. Everybody can do something different. When we think about what we should be doing, we ought to be trying to do something that is bigger than
ourselves, not just focused on us. And when you focus on others, it ultimately frees a veter nation in a world. And so that's part of what we're doing. Andrea, let me pose that same question to you. Your thoughts on doctor Martin Luther King Junior's legacy and the impact that it still has today. Well, I think that in some ways it is it's so interesting that the holiday is celebrated at the beginning of each year, which obviously
is with when his birthday falls. But I think it always gives us a moment to pause and reflect and also rededicate ourselves to the ideals of which Martin Luther King Junior and Coretit Scott King not only stood for both how but what they work so diligently for. And also it's a time for us to lean
in and and to do our part. And as Martin said, we're extraordinarily excited this here to kick off the realize the dream where we are going to galvanize and unify you all across this country in service and finding ways in which that they can be a part of service and creating the world in which they want to live so that they have an active role in feeding the plans of
peace and justice inequity. I'm Rian Gorman and the head of Martin Luther King Junior Day were joined by Martin Luther King the third and Andrea Waters King. Martin, let me go back to you the way that your father went about attempting to create the change he was fighting for. Do you see that approach in those who were following in his footsteps today? So I see it manifested to some degree, particularly in young people. The generation I think our daughter's
generation. I would say she's fifteen years old, and many of her pears are engaged in some levels of folcial justice. There is a caveat, however, because today we have the advent of social media which can impact positively and negatively, and we need to find ways to use social media in a positive
way to bring about change. I think that, you know, my father came from the perspective of not creating a non violus society, and my mother and throughout our lives, that's what they did, and that's certainly what Andrea and I through the Drum Major Institute, are doing as well. Because we believe that you know, we must create a world where personal property no one is detroyed. It really is about building community. It's about building that beloved
community. It's about building, you know, a safe environment. I think some young people are embraced in that. Others may be using a different methodology. But at the end of the day, we've got to come together to really create the opportunity for what is unlimited potential that is there. It is it is in the universe. There's there's, there's this. There's a great opportunity to change society. However, politically, there are thoughts that have been
put in place temporarily. I say it temporarily because when people engaged, we see action and we became and that that's the social justice perspective oftentimes that we come from. But when people are tuning into the negative kind of things that promote hate, promote division, promote exclusion, Uh, we've got to change that paradigm to a paradigm of how do we create a loving environment and then
if we do disagree, how do we disagree without being disagreeable. I think that's what my father demonstrated, that's what my mom is demonstrated through a leadership. I hope that Andre and I and others are demonstrating that our door and some in her generation, because ultimately society and the world has got to come together. Dad would say, humankind must learn about us, or in human kind may face non existence. You know, when you're fighting for any sort
of change, there are going to be challenges. You're going to have your ups and downs, your frustrations. I can only imagine, Martin, what your father went through fighting for what he was looking to accomplish. Did he have those moments of frustration? We see him in such a stoic light in the images and the videos that we have of him, but behind the scenes tell us about how he dealt with the speed bumps along that path. So I would say, of course he did. I mean, you couldn't be
a human being without sometimes getting discouraged, sometimes getting depressed. My mom said he often would when he got depressed, deeply was anguished. He would not just pray and meditate, but he would preach himself out of his depression because he knew he didn't have the luxury of quitting. He knew he didn't have the luxury of looking backward. He had to continue to look forward, and
so he set his example. He stayed. He was very disciplined and organized and focused, and so you know, I would say that any of us sometimes just have to take a break. I mean, sometimes I have to not watch the news and not go on social media for a period of time so I can renew and regenerate myself and then come back more vigilant and engaged in the fight. So I would say all of us or to do that sometimes, because if you stay constantly engaged in negativity, you're going to end
up being involved in negativity. And I hope that nothing that I ever do is negative. I hope I'm always is reinforcing and positive. At the end of the day, I say, we can't give in, we can't give out, we can't give up. We have to keep moving forward, and you fortify yourself so that you are strong enough to continue in these very difficult
battles. They are difficult, but they are not uncomble. I mean, if we date back to our history and we realize that people used to have to wake up and endure the tragedies of flavored and they did endure, and ultimately we as a nation ended. It ended the most one of the most cool and vicious institutions that ever existed, and so today, whatever our challenges are, we can overcome them. That's why I say, don't give up, don't give out, don't give in. We have to keep moving forward.
I'm Ryan Gorman here on I Heardio Communities and ahead of Martin Luther King Junior day. We're joined now by two very special guests, Martin Luther King the third and Andrea Waters King. Andrea, let me turn to you. This younger generation fighting for some of the same things that doctor Martin Luther King Junior was fighting for. What do you see from them? Truly? When I when we work with or we see the youth of this nation, it
really inspires and gives gives me hope unlike anything else. I honestly believe that this generation truly is going to be one of the greatest generations that we have witness. They are just so innovative, and they are committed, and they're passionate, and they're bold, and I you know, they are really strong
in their beliefs and standing up for them. So I really believe that as they continue to grow and expand, and some of them are already within the workforce, that we really are going to see some great things within our nation and it really energizes us with which is one of the reasons we're so excited about realize the dream to actually be in the midst and working with young people. You know, Coret scot King would say that freedom is never really one
that each generation has to earn its freedom. And to be in a place and see these young people in their own ways and in their own rights, continuing to stand for the elimination of the triple evils, to stand up against racism and bigotry, to stand up against poverty, to stand up against violence, and to stand for peace, and to stand for justice and to stand
for equity. I think that I can't help but be in feels inspired and even more excited about these next five years and collecting over one hundred million hours of service and to see young people actually going out into their communities or into
their schools and finding a way to serve and to do their part. And one of the things that we've seen we know that it's as young people are engaged, it helps with a lot of not only the societal problems, but it helps with it helps individuals you have, it helps with mental health, it helps with all it helps with alienation, and it gives you a sense of belonging. So there's so many benefits not only to the world, but
to yourself as you're going out and serve. And so as we have this and we continue to work more and more in communities across the country, I'm very excited to see what these young people are going to do. Martin, let me turn back to you for a moment. To create the kind of change your father, doctor Martin Luther King Junior, was trying to create, Sometimes laws need to be changed so that part of the process voting elections.
We have an upcoming election this year. How important is that? How important was that back then with the work your father was doing. You know, I think that is critically important. Every election has consequences. This upcoming election might be the most consequential yet in one sense, because we have to decide if we're going to embrace democracy or or something else. And when one votes, because they're candidates that are offering all kinds of perspectives, and the challenge
or the question is, as I said, what do we want? We say we are democracy. Democracy means that everyone has an opportunity to participate by casting their votes on election day. Uh. And in some communities, we've made it much harder to vote. We've created restrictions, uh, to make it, you know, to make it to make people give people not the feeling that they want them to be included, but the feeling that they don't want you to be included. And so we have to reject that. I
believe, I believe we have to engage. We have to vote in large number. We as a nation have not always voted in the kind of numbers that we that reflect who we are. At three hundred plus million people I think that live in the United States, and when it comes to voting, we vote maybe at thirty five forty percent. We should be voting at eighty
percent or more. Other countries do while we not doing that. And yet we run around the world talking about the projection of democracy and how we want to encourage people to be democratic, but then to some degree we are suppressing that right at home. So I think people see that in the world and they see, well, maybe what you're saying is inconsistent with what you're doing.
But it's up to us, the people, we the people to make sure that we are consistently doing for us as the nation as well as knowing others. This is what a democracy should look like. So I hope in president that we're always pushing and promoting democracy and engaged because the way you create changes by electing people to office. And by the way, I think we need to have more young people in office. If you are twenty one years old and you've gone to college, considered as a member of the ROTC,
you are a lieutenant commanding officer in the military. If you can make command troops at twenty one, then why not can you run for a school board, state legislative positions, county positions, city hall positions like city council persons. Most of those jobs are part time. We need young people engaged on the frontlines and ready to serve to help lead this native so we can become
this more perfect union that we talk about creating. And one of the things I would add is the reason that every election is so important, But what we have seen in recent years is in too many instances oppression being legend. So we literally now have laws on the book that are limiting rights of women and minorities and so many others that people had actually organized and work and fought
in in some cases died for. So when you're looking at a lot of things that are the antithesis to everything that Martin Luther King Junior Crescott King stood for, and a lot of those beliefs now are being codified, I think we're at a very very critical point in juncture, and so it is very important. And we saw that, I think within the midterm elections, and we've seen that in certain states where you know, people are you know,
kind of maybe questioning and really turning out. But I think now more than ever, we really need to to look at how can we pack legislation and laws that lift us all up. We believe that laws should list us all up, not limit us. I'm Ryan Gorman and ahead of Martin Luther King Junior day I'm joined now by Martin Luther King, the third chairman of the Drum Major Institute, and Andrea Waters King, President of the Drum Major Institute.
You can learn more about their organization at Drum majori nst dot org.
And Andrea tell us about the work the institute does. So the Drum Major Institute actually takes his name from the very last sermon that Martin Luther King, Junior delivered in Atlanta, Georgia, on February fourth, literally two months before he was assassinated and after his death, when Coreta Scott King was organizing and putting together at his funeral, and she was choosing the service and what to play, and she thought that it would be appropriate to use his words,
and so out of all of his many writings and speeches, he pulled the drum major sermon, and that was the last thing that was played at the funeral of Margot the King Junior, and in his voice, and so in a very real sense to eulogize himself. And in that he talked about wanting to be remembered not for his various awards and honors, but he wanted to be remembered for living a beautiful life, a life in which ob service, a life in which he tried to leave the world a bit better than when
he when when he arrived. And we had, drum Majors feel that that call is our pursuit, that we really worked to eliminate the triple evils that Martin Luther King Jr. Talked about, of racism and bigotry, and poverty and violence and we we do that by implementing and upholding peace, justice and equity. But we also know and understand that it's really up to each one of us leaning in and utilizing our passion than our voices to help create the
beloved community. Martin, let me turn back to you for a moment. Is there any part of your father's work that you think gets overlooked and deserves more attention or perhaps is misunderstood. There probably are a lot of areas, but I would start with this one. I think that you know, oftentimes some of what he stated is people kind of use his words and use selectively
certain phrases for their political agenda. And anytime you're talking about something that may possibly exclude you, are you're not literally looking at the totality of what he was saying. For example, you know he talked about a radical revolution, a radical redistribution of wealth and resources. Very often that's not even talked about because no one really wants to delve there, because he's really talking about to
empower people who've been excluded from the process, masses of people. And when you talk about wealth and resources, well, are you going to take research cources from somebody who's made resources, how do you do this? And he
really was talking about how money is spent in our community. For example, you know, if one of the government departments was spending X amount of dollars on teachers, and if we look at what our teachers are paid, there's some of the most important people in our society and we paid them, you know, meager wages. By and large, our teachers could be paid more.
That's one example. So unless we realize we need to redistribute resources in a way that we don't just spend vast amounts of money, which we know what we do in militarism, we need to spend more money in areas of human uplifts and that needs to be talked about. That's what Martin Luther King Junior. One of the things that I think is overlooked often. It's not
the only thing, but it's one of those things. Also think that you know, Dad's message was so much about bringing people together and never about dividing people. It was about human dignity, human respect, lifting people up to
become the best that they can become. And that's the message that hopefully needs to resonate more and more that oftentimes we sometimes missed because we have basically reduced his vision to the one statement, I have a dream, and that he was far more than just a person who they had a dream and vision to
here. He had an ability to talk about strategically how we can achieve these initiatives, and those are the kind of things we need to make available to our society so that our young people can learn from what he and his gene did and so that they can do the things they want to do to make our society better for all of Austria. And might I add I think that you know, we focused so much, I think too much on idolizing Martin
Luther King junior. And I think that's you know, if that's too easy to do, and what what we challenge and I think where he what he would say is that we want to see this country live up to the ideals of Martin Luther King junior. As long as something is idolized, you know, you take it down once a year, take it or dusted off, you know, put it away and don't think about it. But that's not
what he was about, the ideals and principles. And so if there's anything that I think the biggest challenge or what we want to continue to push forward. Is that we don't need to idolize Martin Luther King Jr. We simply need to live up to his ideals. Again, I'm Ryan Gorman and ahead of Martin Luther King Junior day I'm joined by Martin Luther King the Third and
Andrea Waters King and Martin. To wrap things up, we've talked about the life and legacy of your father, but from a more personal standpoint, what do you remember about him? You know, I was a ten years old when my father was killed. He was Dad to me. I didn't know him at that time as this monumental historical figure. I just knew him as dad. Whenever he came home. He didn't have a large quantity of time, but the quality was amazing. He wanted He dedicated his time on making
sure that we as the children who were happy. We went to the YMCA to swim with him. Sometimes once a week, we went on a vacation. From time to time, he would not Let's say, if our vacation was the week, he probably was there comfuled to three days and then he had to go back on the road to be engaged in the work that he was involved. In, but he wanted to make sure that we had as
much time as he could give. And whenever he came to the house when he was often tired, I could see him walking up the stairs, and all of a sudden, his energy became renewed. When he saw the he looked like he was pulling it looked like he was pulling a big boulder around his leg. But once he saw us, all of that energy shifted and changed, and he was like, you know, sending us love. And we just we were so happy about being able to be with our dad.
As I got older and started reading his sermons and messages and and listening to them, you know, I began to realize that. And maybe it just started, by the way, at the time of his funeral, because at the time of his funeral, all of these people from around the nation of the world showed up. All of the person's running for president of the United States at the time. President Nixon had come to his funeral and came to
our home. All of the Kennedy family members, Robert Kennedy, Ol Kennedy and Jackie o'dattas, and Ted Kennedy and his then wife, they all came to our home along with performing entertainers Aretha Franklin, who was close to Dad, obviously, Hire Balafonti, who was one of Dad's close friends, and help the mobilize HollyHood for helping to get the voting rights acting up with and
the Marginal Washington, and the list goes on and on. That's probably when I subconsciously began to realize, Wow, Dad was really doing some major things. Even though he would sit down with us at breakfast on Sunday mornings before going to church and we would have Bible verses after the prayer, and then we would talk about the work that he was doing, but I don't know
that I appreciated it honestly at ten years old. Internally, as I got older and learned and began to look in the world and see what can I do to make a difference. I mean, Dad and Mom created a blueprint that would inspire me to be engaged in the work that I'm engaged in today, and that means we must continue until that work is the complete. I don't know what it would be complete, but I know I'm gonna do all that I can now, along with my wife Andrea and daughter Yolanda Naves,
she chooses too. She has so far chosen to We're going to continue to work to make the dream or to make to Jack to realize the dream. And then also I think that people forget one of the things that we talk about, and even in our home, it's the physical the scars that Martin Luther King Junior bore. We we recently were gifted a picture. He likes
to swim a lot for exercises. We were gifted a picture of him in Ohio after having swam in the y m c A there, And the thing that stood out the most is that there was on his chest a scar that is literally in the in the form of a cross. But that Martin saw
that picture, he had almost forgotten. But then he remembered seeing that scar on his father's chest as he you know, saw him in his undershirts and you know whatever, you know, growing up, and that scar was there because you know, we know about his home being bombed, we know of course ultimately about you know, his assassination, but we forget like that he was actually stabbed and stabbed literally and had he even sneezed at that time,
he would have perished. And for the rest of his life you know, he bore the scar of that literally on his chest. So his the the his work, it, the brounch of it is this the and the dangers of it. And what he endured is was physical as well on his body. But he endured all of that for each of us. And he endured all of that so again that this world can be truly, as he would say, not a to really truly be not merely a neighborhood, but brotherhood
and sisterhood. And I think it's those type of things that we also talk about with our daughter, Martin Luther King, the third chairman of the Drum Major Institute, and Andrea Waters King, president of the Drum Major Institute, with me ahead of Martin Luther King Junior day. You can learn more about their organization at drum majorist dot org. Martin Andrea, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to come on the show. We really appreciate it.
Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you all right, and that's going to do it for this edition of iHeartRadio Communities. I want to thank you all so much for listening to the show. I'm your host, Ryan Gorman. We'll talk to you again real soon,