As Americans, we should remember what real heroism looks like: people like Dr. King, who told the truth and spoke out against injustice even when it came at grave personal cost. True heroes don’t wait for it to be safe. I hope today is a reminder that we still have that choice.

In the face of unprecedented adversity, there is a real and understandable temptation to reduce risk. To do nothing. This is why I’m in awe of people like Dr. King, who stood up in the face of grave personal harm, and of those doing so today across our country.

Fortunately, we have one powerful asset: the truth. We can choose to tell the truth. We can speak out against Trump using our tax dollars to harass, illegally detain, and shoot American citizens.

We can say that Renee Nicole Good—a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother—was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, and that attempts to launder that reality don’t change what happened.

The Trump Administration’s attempts to erase Dr. King’s legacy (like removing MLK day, but adding Trump’s birthday to the National Park’s observed fee-free list) are a reminder that Trump fears our collective memory.

Their hope is that we forget what he stood for, sand down the edges, and erase the parts of his work that demand something from us. My hope is simple: that this country never forgets Dr. King, and never stops living up to what he demands of us.