Let's Activate Dr. King's Beloved Community Vision
Who we are being mirrors the kind of world we are trying to build. When it comes to our shared vision for a belonging society, who do you need to become to activate it?
In 1956, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his “Birth of a New Age” address where he declared that the time is now “to rise up in protest…to usher in a new age.”
[Image Description: A graphic featuring Dr. King’s beloved community quote: “Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” The quote is inside a navy circle next to an image of Dr. King and a Rhodes Perry Consulting logo in the bottom right corner.]
In this new age, Dr. King emphasized the importance of building “a beloved community…where [all people] will live together as [family].”
The beloved community is a marriage of love & power; not to be confused with the love of power, but rather harnessing the power of love to achieve justice & liberation.
Dr. King’s vision is a roadmap to activate our shared vision for a belonging society. To achieve it, we must build global beloved communities.
Why are beloved communities needed?
In 1956, Dr. King’s words created possibilities for helping the United States comply with its lofty ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
These ideals state all people, regardless of their access to power, are created equal. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was the beginning of true compliance with these ideals.
As we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, we are also faced with the harsh reality that today begins a new Presidential Administration determined to undermine these ideals.
Dr. King’s vision continues to galvanize global communities prepared to do what’s necessary to protect them amplifying the wisdom of another wise leader:
We’re not going back!
Beloved Community Values
Dr. King’s vision is the blueprint to help navigate a new course during these challenging times.
It’s visionary because it moves us to put the power of love and belonging into all that we do, and all that we are becoming.
To put the values of Dr. King’s Beloved Community into action, it’s important to distinguish them. Below are five core Beloved Community values:
Belonging. Building spaces of belonging is a prerequisite to building beloved communities. Members have a shared sense of safety, trust, peace, and joy.
Repair. Conflicts will inevitably arise in these communities, and as members, we commit to nonviolently resolve them without resentment, hostility, or retaliation.
Dignity. All life is interdependent, and beloved communities honor, appreciate, and recognize the inherent worth of all living beings, including the planet.
Cooperation. Love for all life inspires our communities to work in cooperation to build belonging, champion equity, and end violence & injustice of any kind.
Kindness. The way we work together aligns with the kind of love we are laboring to bring into our current reality. Who we are must mirror what we are building.
The Power of Community-Care
Inside beloved communities, we practice community-care. This means we give others what they need, and we have the agency to vulnerably ask for what we need.
Community-care in action gets us closer to building a world of true belonging where the need for an “us versus them” is no longer required.
Putting the values of a beloved community into action clarifies how we will work together. That clarity allows us to activate our vision for a belonging society.
This way of living is a practice. In our Belonging Membership Community, we call this The Practice of Belonging. It lives in our nervous system, and we must nurture it.
A Winning Vision for the Future
Right now, there are competing visions for our future. Two immediately come to my mind: 1) Project 2025, and 2) a Vision for a Belonging Society.
The Heritage Foundation clarified Project 2025’s Vision and on Thursday, January 30th, visionary leaders will gather to begin co-creating our Belonging Society Vision.
We can’t do this kind of visioning work without you, which is why we are offering three ways you can help us articulate our shared Belonging Society Vision:
The Belonging Circle. Join fellow visionary leaders on 1/30 as we co-create our shared vision for belonging through body, mind, and community-care practices.
The Belonging Practice. On Thursdays at 8 am PT, join a regular practice to take actions that mirror the kind of belonging society we are trying to build.
Share Your Vision. Clarify your vision for a belonging society by sharing it here, and we’ll be sure to amplify your words on January 30th with attribution.
[Image Description: A graphic featuring text that reads: “Belonging Circle for Visionary Leaders, January 30th.” An image of a world with a heart orbiting the planet outlined in white with a navy background with a Rhodes Perry Consulting logo in the bottom right corner.]
Your Belonging Coach
You play a valuable role in shaping our shared future, and your work begins by engaging in the inner healing work required to fortify your heart and mind.
Then read my book, Imagine Belonging, both a vision for a belonging society, a structured analysis of oppression, and a practical guide to building belonging.
Afterward, consider these reflection questions:
Why does belonging to a Beloved Community matter to me?
What can I do right now to embody the values of Dr. King’s Beloved Community?
Who do I know in my life who puts these values into action?
How can I collaborate with them to co-create a shared vision for belonging?
What does this kind of collaboration make possible for the world I long for?
If you want more support on how to move towards the kind of future you long for, consider enrolling in our Coaching Belonging Program. Learn more here.
Whether today is one of service or rest, please listen to Dr. King’s Birth of a New Age speech for the motivation required to activate our Belonging Society Vision.
Thank you for growing our Belonging Movement!