Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" (Abingdon Press, 2017) and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.
As I reflect, my spirit is a mix of melancholy and optimism, a paradox inherent in the annual observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The legacy of Dr. King, who embodied the audacity of hope and the relentless pursuit of justice, remains a prophetic standard in these uncertain times, illuminating a path toward the "beloved community" he so passionately envisioned.
Our democracy, a system designed to uphold the principles of liberty, justice and equality, seems to be teetering on a precipice. The impending 2024 presidential election doesn't invoke optimism but provokes division and uncertainty. In these moments of instability, I cling to King's unyielding faith in the power of unity and the promise of democracy. His dream was not one of complacency but of continuous striving – striving to create a society where equity is not a hollow promise but a lived reality.
There is no discounting the positive societal changes witnessed over the years since King's death, particularly in civil rights and social justice. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both championed by King, marked the beginning of a new era of progress, setting a precedent for the fight against discrimination in all its forms.
The world King left behind has changed dramatically, yet the persistent racial, socio-economic and geopolitical imbalances he fought against are still enormously present. The scales of justice tip more towards privilege than the marginalized, more towards the haves than the have-nots. And there is still much ground to cover.
I'd like to see more change in the realm of economic equity. The wealth gap, particularly along racial lines, continues to be a pressing issue. Second is greater expansion, accessibility and inclusiveness of voter rights. Respectfully, that impacts above all other aspects of life, including access to quality education, health care and opportunities for upward mobility.
Amid the noise, I listen and lean to King's resilience and unrelenting belief in the power of love and unity to overcome the deepest divides. The "beloved community" he envisaged isn't a utopia free from conflict; instead, it is one where discord is contested through mutual respect and understanding, where love and justice supplant hate and inequity.
The beloved community is a divine promise yet to be fully realized. It is not an unreachable ideal but a call to action. It is a challenge for us, regardless of race, religion, or socio-economic status, to actively contribute to building a society that reflects the values of equity, justice and love. Our shared journey towards achieving this goal is a collaborative one.
Each of us has a role in bringing about this change. One way I can contribute is through advocacy and education. Through our respective platforms we can create more informed and engaged communities, bringing us closer to realizing King's dream amid these uncertain times.
As we engage in the democratic work and responsibilities of this year, let us believe that our democracy, though seemingly unstable, is not beyond repair. The power to effect change lies within ourselves. This year's election is a crucial opportunity to shape history and create a narrative of progress, inclusivity and justice. Our respective actions, or lack thereof, will determine the course of our nation and the world's future.
In paying tribute to the enduring legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., we should not merely laud his achievements and idolize his persona. Instead, let our nation wholeheartedly embrace his vision by actively engaging in the battle for social justice. Let us strive to transform our society into one where love and justice reign supreme. Though the path may be fraught with challenges, let King's witness of hope and unity anchor our efforts in unsettling times.
We may not simply treat this year's national observance as a mere day off but rather as a call to action for each of us to contribute to the advancement and uplift of us all. I pray we respect King's divine expectation of a beloved community not as a relic of the past but as a blueprint for the now and the not yet.
Americans across the political spectrum have continued to ask about the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections among the political elite. (Angela Weiss/AFP)
A view of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2026. President Donald Trump jolted Republicans during a fiery appearance at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, scrapping a housing bill signing ceremony and clashing behind closed doors with a party rebel who challenged him over the Iran war. Trump had been expected to sign the bipartisan housing.
Only Trump doesn’t care about housing
It was August 15, 2024. Then candidate Donald Trump stepped out of his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club’s columned clubhouse to a gaggle of reporters. He was flanked by tables of groceries and signs showing the rising cost of food. Also on one of the tables was a dollhouse, meant to represent the equally alarming rise in housing prices.
It was a speech about the economy, the single most important issue of the 2024 election cycle, full of promises that went right to the heart of Americans’ anxieties. While former President Joe Biden and then Vice President Kamala Harris were contorting themselves to posture a good economy that just needed more time to recover from the pandemic, Trump was preying on voters’ very real fears of unaffordable gas, groceries, and homes. It was obviously a winning message.
In that speech, Trump promised, “We’re going to open up tracts of federal land for housing construction. We desperately need housing for people who can’t afford what’s going on now.”
As of mid-2023, there had been a housing shortage of nearly four million homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. Americans all over the country were either priced out of buying new homes due to low inventory, trapped in their existing homes by sky-high mortgage rates, or facing exorbitant rent hikes thanks to corporate investors buying up rental properties. Americans needed help, and Trump promised it.
Cut to March of 2026, when Trump reportedly told House Speaker Mike Johnson, “No one gives a sh*t about housing.”
That kind of thinking may explain why Trump this week suddenly announced he was canceling a signing ceremony for the bipartisan “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” a housing bill co-sponsored by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tim Scott that passed the House 358-32 and was approved in the Senate on Monday.
Trump instead demanded Congress pass the SAVE America Act, his controversial election grievance bill that doesn’t have enough Republican support to get passed in the Senate.
It’s just the latest in a line of policy self-owns where Trump has seemingly intentionally made life more difficult for Republicans hoping to keep their majority. Despite midterm elections occurring in the midst of a blistering economy and an unpopular war, they were surely hoping the housing bill would give them something — anything — to brag about when they returned home to their districts.
And very much to the contrary, Americans do give a sh*t about housing. According to a recent survey by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a whopping 79% say the cost of housing is extremely or very important to them. Eighty-three percent say Congress should take action on the issue — like it just did. Eighty-nine percent say the House and Senate need to work together to pass affordable housing legislation — like they just did. And 63% say they would be more likely to vote for a lawmaker if they helped pass legislation to build more affordable homes and lower housing costs — like they just did.
There aren’t many issues that unite Americans like housing does, and very few bipartisan policy wins Congress can point to, and yet, Trump is holding that bill hostage in order to get his pet project — which doesn’t even have the support of his own party — pushed through.
If you’re trying to make sense of something so nonsensical, as I’m sure many Republican lawmakers are, it’s certainly sad but not actually all that complicated. Trump said what he needed to get reelected and then promptly abandoned his promises in order to pursue his own self-interests, even if those interests are bad for Republicans and bad for voters.
That’s just the kind of guy he is.
S.E. Cupp is the host of "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered" on CNN.