50 years ago this week, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most impactful speeches that have gone down in history. Most people can recall his famous “I Have A Dream” speech on Washington in 1963, but Dr. King had more than a dream, he had a plan. Plans in which he executed with as much heart as he had strategy. On April 3, 1968, King delivered the speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” his last contribution to the pulpit. He was fearless in his pursuit of justice, defying the status quo and calling America out for who he was. MLK exemplified what it means to be willing to die for a cause. He valued the fate of black and brown people over his very breath, and for that, I am forever grateful.
You see, a contract represents a formal and legally binding agreement between at least two parties. America was NOT being true to what it said on paper. In this oration, he exposed the embezzlement in the fine print that crippled our communities. This nation has forced generations of people of color to only know survival. And in a country that boasts “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” countless black and brown communities are getting the short end of the stick. These injustices are, by design, conceived by weak men, frightened by the strength of black men, women and youth who know their true identities.
Dr. King had more than a dream. He had a plan. Bold as a lion, he was strategic and understood the power of wealth. As history recycles itself, he spoke of significant principles that withstand the test of time. That is, withdrawing economic power from industries in complete disregard to your existence and banding together to strengthen black institutions. He not only dreamed of integration, he dreamed of a black economic engine that drove communities of color to the top. His words, cathartic to this day, provide a sense of hope and greater determination.
As we enter the second quarter of 2018, I want to impress upon you the importance of wealth building. I made my earthly debut with two strikes against me — being black and a woman. But just as MLK feared no man and remained resolute by the falsities that rule American institutions, I stand even prouder to be a black woman in 2018. Like most millennials and MLK, I've dreamt of better days and a land replete with opportunity. The difference is that he woke up and started dreaming with his eyes wide open. My message is simple: in Q2, make a choice.
During a time where entrepreneurs are rising up, I want to encourage those who are not there yet. Even if you choose to remain in a 9–5, remember that choice to dedicate eight hours a day is an investment into the man or woman you are becoming. We stand on the shoulders of many great men and women who’ve scaled from the bottom to the top. Where you are, take notes, because economic wealth starts with education. How powerful is it to know that was the core message on the eve of Dr. King’s imminent journey to glory?
Let us prosper, don’t throw this quarter away.
