Recently, we observed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. When I think of Dr. King’s legacy, I don’t immediately think of the overused “I Have a Dream” speech. Instead, I think of his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” essay.

  

While in custody in Birmingham, Dr. King wrote a letter to clergy members who had criticized his presence and the demonstrations he helped organize there. Their concern amounted to being against any disturbance to the status quo.

Their critique of the demonstrations led MLK to ask in his letter, “Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world?”

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated while advocating for environmental justice in Memphis, Tenn., for sanitation workers. Many of our political and corporate leaders claim religious faith is important in their lives. Those of us who do should reflect on the quote above to whether we are too bound to the status quo to save our cities, towns, counties, and ultimately our world.

The movement he gave his life for was not simply about social and civil rights but about quality of life and respect for all life forms.

We are sixty-two years after his imprisonment and letter from Birmingham, and we are still hearing similar arguments against proposals for achieving justice for people of color and low-wealth communities who bear a disproportionate burden of polluting industries. We are facing increasing opposition to efforts to address climate and environmental injustices. A status quo argument we hear echoed from various sectors is that to achieve climate and environmental justice would require a disturbance of what has existed for 100 years or more! 

The argument is essentially a status quo rationale. We should do nothing to remedy the greenhouse gas emissions, disproportionate energy burden, and health hazards faced by communities across Virginia because “we have always done it that way.” To address these problems is too disruptive and costly.

We cannot maintain the status quo for how we relieve unjust pollution burdens. While it may be counterintuitive for some, achieving environmental justice is an essential step toward the goals of the climate movement. Bills going through the General Assembly 2025 session would guide the comprehensive planning commissions across the state and implement a process for state agencies to relieve health risks for communities suffering from poor air and water quality and support community resilience.

Every town, city and county has a role to play in the movement to address climate change.

Our mission at Virginia Interfaith Power & Light starts with achieving environmental justice for communities impacted hardest and longest by industry and governmental decisions that either neglected or targeted Black, Brown, and those deemed suitable to bear the pollution burden.

We resonate with the adage that rising tides lift all boats. Knowing that a rising tide may lift all boats, we also consider that some of our most vulnerable Virginians are in rafts while others are in yachts.

The objectives of climate and environmental justice are inextricable. We cannot maintain the status quo policies, practices, or laws when they ignore the problems of climate and environmental justice. Working for environmental justice honors the legacy of advocates like Martin Luther King Jr. and his life and work to achieve social, economic and civil rights for all of God’s children.

The writer is the executive director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light.