Continuing the African American tradition of civil society

Community uplift without government support has deep roots among African Americans. This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s time to rediscover them.

Each year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day encourages an upsurge in volunteer work and charitable giving. Unfortunately, it tends to be just a one-day commitment. The annual one day of celebration each year of civic-mindedness isn’t enough to keep African American communities like mine thriving, especially when so many are struggling economically in the wake of the pandemic. For inspiration, we should look back to the Reconstruction Era,...