We must work to make Cincinnati a 'beloved community' of love, equality, justice | Opinion

“What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demand of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”

This passage from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final book, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" is the inspiration for the 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual March and Program. The theme is "Creating the Beloved Community through − Love, Power and Justice."

Today, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is often viewed and quoted through a revisionist lens. So last year, as a coalition, we challenged ourselves to reimagine the radical MLK.

To get at the essence of MLK, we studied his last book. This year the annual march and program will usher in our urgent action to bring about a "beloved community" in Cincinnati, which is to live in a society based on love, equality and justice.

The successful creation of the beloved community for all people can only be accomplished through love, power and justice. To start, here in Cincinnati, we call for the establishment of an independent organization charged with advising, consulting, collaborating, educating, generating programs, research, reporting and providing a forum to strengthen racial equity, with the overarching goal to lessen the lingering disparities in the city of Cincinnati. This is not a new idea.

In 1966, Tuskegee Airman David McPheeters was named director of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, an independent contractor tasked with improving race relations in Cincinnati. He immediately wrote a report titled, "A Plan to Prevent Riots" and also called for a Bi-Racial Commission to deal with governmental issues (legislative, judicial, and executive) and a Civic Bi-Racial Committee to work with business, labor, religious, educational, social and civic groups.

However, before McPheeters’ plan could be implemented, a riot occurred in Cincinnati the summer of 1967. In the aftermath of the unrest, McPheeters resigned.

In 1968, Virginia Coffee became the director of the CHRC, and less than two months later racial tension in Cincinnati again escalated following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Coffee became the bridge between City Hall and the African American community in the aftermath of the unrest. By 1970, Coffee reorganized the commission into five divisions: community relations, education, employment, land use and law. With the commission finally on the right track, Coffee resigned as the director of CHRC in 1973.

From 1943-2015 the CHRC, formerly the Mayor’s Friendly Relations Committee, was part of the social construct of our city. Throughout those years, the commission sought to be a bridge between City Hall and marginalized community groups.

You can evaluate its impact by reading, "The Cincinnati Human Relations Commission: A History, 1943-2013" by Phillip Obermiller and Thomas Wagner. One of its high points was evident in the aftermath of the Timothy Thomas unrest.

Then-CHRC director, State Representative Cecil Thomas, like Coffee, served as a bridge between City Hall and the African American community. In 2015, the CHRC ceased to exist as an independent organization and was replaced with the Office of Human Relations as part of Cincinnati city government.

We believe the vision of McPheeters and Coffee provides the path to redress the lingering disparity that exists in the African American community. As we reenact the civil rights marches on the day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth, we do so with the understanding that as King put it, "the aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community." We are asking that you join us in calling for the creation of an independent organization, funded by the city and other stakeholders, such as the business community, to redress generational poverty.

Too many Cincinnatians are, as Patrick Sharkey says, "Stuck in place." We must work to create the "beloved community" here in Cincinnati.

We invite all Cincinnatians and surrounding areas to join us on Monday, Jan. 15 for the 49th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March and Program starting at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center at 10:30 a.m., and the program at the Music Hall at noon.

For further information, visit us online at https://www.mlkcoalition.org/

Raffel Prophett is president of the MLK Coalition of Cincinnati

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: We must work to create MLK's 'beloved community' here in Cincinnati