Let Freedom Ring
Black and white image of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr commemorating Martin Luther King Jr Day.
“And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, August 28, 1963
For Black queer and trans people, freedom is perhaps the most cherished of all virtues and values. From deep within, we yearn for the freedom to be who we deeply, intrinsically, and truly are …Black and beautiful, queer and curious, trans and fabulous.
Were it only a matter of willing these realities into our beings, our lives would be much simpler. However, fully embracing who we truly are as a historically marginalized community is not simply a personal resolution. It’s a public endeavor that depends on community care, civic engagement, political will, and faithful resilience.
Being free is an act of public permission. When Dr. King said “Let freedom ring…”, he was granting public permission for the oppressed to be liberated. Whether in the urban caverns of New York City or the deep dark backroads of the Mississippi Delta, freedom must be “Let”. In order for Black queer and trans people to live and move when and where we wish, we must be empowered and allowed to do so.
This is not to say, that we need to beg for or wait for permission. To be “Let” is an act of affirmation in the context of community. No one is Black alone. No one is queer alone. No one is trans alone. Whoever we are, wherever we exist can only be truly and deeply embodied when we find affirmation, care, and trust from those around us.
On this cold and ominous Martin Luther King, Jr Day of 2025, may each of you … wherever you are and whatever you are doing … may you be surrounded by “Let”! Whether it be your partner, your parents, your pet, or your employer … may they “Let freedom ring” for you today and forever more.
Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.
Love,
Michael
