What If Martin Luther King Jr. Were Alive Today?

I'm sitting here watching an old episode of The Boondocks 'The Return Of The King' from 2006. It explores the concept: What if Martin Luther King Jr. was alive today? How disgusted and downright disappointed would he be with how things are today? In the episode Dr. King never died but was in a coma and just woke up.

Aaron McGruder, the shows creator, shows the civil rights leader seeing how the streets named after him, were among the most violent in the country. It also expressed his disgust with the videos on BET and the music that's being played during the day on the radio. He almost lost his mind, when a young brother in baggy clothes addresses him, using the N word as a term of endearment as he passes on the street. While I have to admit it was hilarious at first, then a bombardment of "what ifs" invaded my brain as soon as it went off.

What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive today? It made me realize how the Katrina aftermath and having our first African-American President showed the world just how far away America still is from that famous I Have A Dream speech, we hear in heavy rotation on the radio and the television every January.

How would he have dealt with the government's slow response to Katrina, and the rebuilding of New Orleans? How would he feel about the oil spill in the gulf region? How would he feel about how his children are divided and fighting over his legacy in public and in the courtroom? It would probably have killed him for real this time.

I can only imagine how elated he would be that we elected our first African-American president. But at the same time greatly disappointed how the country is still visiblly divided. How would he have handled Don Imus addressing a female college basketball team as a bunch of nappy headed hoes? Not to mention the Kramer outburst or Dr. Laura throwing the word around like it was okay on the radio? What would his response be to his friend Jesse Jackson's comments about then presidential candidate Barak Obama when he thought the microphone was off?

Where would we be if he was still alive today? How would he deal with this War America is currently in? What would have been his reaction to the presidential election recount we had in Florida a few years back? Would he have led another march on Washington DC?

What would he say about the current state of Hip Hop? What would he think of the portrayal of us as a people in movies and on the television the 4 decades since he was here? What do you think his response to Three Six Mafia even being invited to perform 'Its Hard Out There For A Pimp' at the Oscars?

What would he think of the ways things are, after the sacrifices he and others made for advancements, that today's youth don't take advantage of or even care in some cases? How would race relations be different if he still was alive? Would they be better or worst? Where would he stand on the current court battle over the legalization of gay marriages?

What happens when the youth wait for a leader and one never comes- what do they do, where do they turn? When do we stop sitting still, reminiscing and celebrating the civil rights movement of the 60's and step up to the plate and deal with our current issues we are facing now? As the title of Kevin Powell'sbook ask, "Who Will Take The Weight?"

How would MLK utilize this new technology age? Would he use Twitter, Facebook and other social networks to reach the masses like many of today's preachers? Would the government utilize the Patriot Act to shut him up? Remember the FBI did label him and Malcolm X terrorists in the 60's.

I thank, Aaron McGruder for addressing the topic. Like that episode of The Boondocks, I wonder if this piece is thought provoking enough to stir up a lot of emotions and evoke people to take some much needed action. How do you think it would be if Dr. King were alive today?

What would be different? Holla back, inquiring minds want to know!