01/19/2026
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
We honor him. We bring up the I Have a Dream Speech. We remember the man who asked us to “judge not by the color of our skin.”
But if all you know is the safe, soft, sanitized, non-threatening King version, you don’t know King at all.
When he was alive, Dr. King was hated by the powers that be. Some of his own people thought he was too soft, while others thought he wasn’t active enough.
What's crazy is if he were alive today, he would definitely be classified as a domestic terrorist. A radical leftist. A socialist. A communist. A threat to society and humanity as proclaimed by today's powers that be.
Dr. King may not have promoted violence, but he supported self-defense. He understood that oppression must be resisted.
But what are we doing today per usual?
MLK Prayer Breakfasts, MLK Day of Service. I Have A Dream posts.
Safe. Comfortable. Convenient. Checkoff. Palatable.
The real honor to Dr. King requires truth, not comfort.
Here's what I think Dr. King would tell us if he was alive today:
“We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”
Not next election. Not midterms. Not after another report.
NOW.
To White Supremacists:
“I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate.”
To the 1% millionaires and billionaires:
“The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism.”
To those Black folks complaining and fearful for the New Black Panthers coming out:
“A riot is the language of the unheard.”
Know and remember that standing up, protecting yourself, demanding justice and change are acts of leadership, not rebellion.
So for the Limitless Leaders committed to justice, fairness, equality, equity for all, and holistic wholness, I charge you with these 3 things on MLK DAY:
Mental Health: Guard your mind from all the bull-ish. Stand firm, seek real truth from the inverted, perverted language that tries to distort your perception of reality. Do not let them play in your face like that. Get truth.
Caregiving: Protect yourself and your people. Self-defense is mental, emotional, physical, financial, and strategic. Self care is not a luxury. It is vitally essential so start treating it as such.
Entrepreneurship: Be radical, unflinching, and empowered, especially my Black Women. Push back against systems that tell you to be nice, quiet, safe, humble, or small. Dam all that. Protect your space, peace, and dignity.
Demand what is owed to you and lead without limits.
Resistance is justified. It is not wrong when facing these cognitive dissonances and moral injuries.
Dr. King gave us, the new leaders, not only the vision but the blueprint of positive self-image, intuition, and acts of courage.
That's Limitless Leadership.
So when Leadership Fails, Limitless Leaders Rise.
Rise and Lead, Limitless Leaders. On MLK Day.
Lead Without Limits.