In his “I Have a Dream” address of August 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for an end to the scourge of racism in the United States. Although our nation has made significant progress in the 57 years since Rev. King’s speech, the unjust murder of George Floyd proves there is still much work and healing to be done.
We must never forget Dr. King’s less cited but extraordinarily meaningful words from that same historic speech: “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.”
As President Trump works toward building a more perfect union, America can dream again. Immediately after Floyd’s brutal death, Trump made clear that he is fully committed to ensuring justice will be served for George and his family — that he will not have died on that gray pavement in vain. “Equal justice under the law,” the president said, “must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement, regardless of race, color, gender, or creed.”
Powerful words like this matter, coming from our leaders. Trump knows, as my uncle Dr. King knew, that with God’s help, humans have the ability to have our hearts and minds transformed and thereby heal the wounds of division.
Let us open our eyes and see that we are one human race. We are not colorblind. We all bleed the same. We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters in America; not perish as fools.
Unlike most leaders in Washington, Trump backs up his words with action — often by executive decisions. Last Tuesday, the president signed an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities. This landmark order takes unprecedented steps to strengthen relations between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
This order adopts a commonsense approach that emphasizes the need to invest more resources in police training and community engagement. Improving trust between law enforcement and underserved communities will bridge the divide that so often leads to tragedy. We can only be successful in creating real change if we are willing to have uncomfortable conversations and address these issues head-on. This executive order is a very important step in advancing that noble goal.
I look forward to Trump working with Congress on additional measures in the days and weeks ahead. Police reform is an issue relevant to every American. It requires a bipartisan solution and open hearts.
I am grateful that Trump is the one leading to bring about this change. The president’s aspirational leadership is helping restore and renew the true promise of America. We must set aside our partisan divisions and come together in support of the noble pursuit of justice that Trump is undertaking. The American people can accomplish anything when we stand united.
Dr. Alveda King is an evangelist and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She is a member of Black Voices for Trump.
