On August 7th, 2020 Millennial Action Project founder and CEO Steven Olikara hosted Martin Luther King III, a global human rights activist and the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Millennial Action Project’s 4th annual Future Summit. This year’s Future Summit, the largest annual bipartisan convening of young state legislators, occurred virtually and allowed state lawmakers from 34 states to join together to collaborate, network, share legislative successes, and gain insight from national policy experts. These legislators represent a cross-section of the more than 1,500 bipartisan Millennial state legislators included in the State Future Caucus Network (SFCN).
During their conversation, Olikara and Mr. King identified lessons for state lawmakers on leadership and enacting real, substantive change. In particular, the two discussed the strong connection between the work and legacy of Dr. King, and the opportunity MAP legislators have to build a new governing paradigm, rooted in empathy and diversity. Through six specific steps shared by Mr. King, legislators learned how to apply the King philosophy to the challenges they face today. He also shared important philosophies on the “sixth gear” of leadership, and the idea of radical love.
6 Steps in the King Philosophy
Be deliberate in gathering all the facts: In the age of misinformation it is critical that young policymakers work to ensure that their communities have credible and reliable sources of information on policy issues. Mr. King urged lawmakers to assist their communities in speaking truth to power. Young policymakers can lead the way with an eye towards the future by proactively using forms of media that reach a wide array of audiences within their communities.
Educate the community. Mr. King contended that lawmakers should take the time to educate their communities on who and what is responsible for the issues facing their communities and steps each individual can take to solve these issues.
Begin to strategize. Mr. King urged young policymakers to be strategic about the steps needed to achieve their goals. Thoughtfully strategizing where you want to end up will help to reduce ambiguity amidst a wide array of pathways and distractions.
Negotiate what you aim to achieve. Mr. King advised lawmakers to be willing to sit down with those with different policy perspectives and negotiate toward a shared policy solution. Mr. King contended that having empathy towards those different than you is critical when negotiating on difficult issues and challenges facing the community.
Engage in direct action: Mr. King referenced the Civil Rights movement and its successful use of boycotts and protests to garner public support for public policy changes. Lawmakers can channel the energy and activism of today’s advocates to increase the public’s awareness and understanding of the key issues that impact their local communities. Mr. King emphasized that enacting real, substantive change requires leaders who are willing to engage with those who see issues from a different perspective.
Reconcile your differences. Mr. King underscored the importance of the final step of reconciliation between different groups, and the necessity of coming together to achieve policy changes that will last over time. Oilkara and Mr. King talked about the difficulty in today’s environment of reconciling political differences between different family members, friends, and colleagues. Mr. King reiterated that today’s young lawmakers will have to set an example for others to follow, particularly on being willing to reconcile political differences in the name of the common good. Following the example set by members of both parties in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, legislators should be unafraid to challenge the status quo of party line politics and work to pass legislation that positively impacts their communities.
Sixth Gear of Leadership
As the conversation developed, Olikara and Mr. King introduced the metaphor of the sixth gear of leadership. Olikara highlighted how certain leaders can reach a sixth gear, where their vision for their purpose is abundantly clear and they are willing to make sacrifices to achieve that purpose. Olikara mentioned Dr. King’s “Mountaintop” speech as exemplifying a leader who had reached their sixth gear of leadership. Mr. King responded by advising lawmakers of how to reach a sixth gear of leadership. Mr. King urged each individual leader to be the very best they can be, to forge consensus and build coalitions that seek to solve problems in their communities. Finally, Mr. King argued that lawmakers should attempt to make humane appeals to citizens, to treat each person with common humanity.
Radical Love & Social Media
Finally, Mr. King underscored the idea of radical love and using different tools and modalities to connect with different audiences. Mr. King contended that when policymakers do something in a genuine way and with the spirit of love behind them, there is nothing they can’t achieve. Referencing the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, Mr. King advised lawmakers to remember the success of the Civil Rights movement in meeting oppression with protestors’ capacity to love. Mr. King urged lawmakers to use different media platforms to amplify their messages and to strategically plan out the dialogues and outreach needed in order to achieve bipartisan and lasting policy solutions for the next generation. Mr. King argued that each of us can choose whether to use social media for good or bad. Today’s young legislators will continue to follow in the footsteps of lawmakers who have embraced the challenge of working across party lines to achieve real, substantive change.