Why "Why We Can't Wait" is a necessary read for these times

As anti-racism work has come to the fore over the past few months, many great books have been shared as sources to turn to. For your humble blogger,  one book has shown itself as necessary to add to the list, if it hasn't already- Dr. Martin Luther King's Why We Can't Wait. An illustrative reflection on the events leading to the civil rights movement becoming the force that it was (and is) in American society,  one can find many parallels between Dr. King's time and now. Given these parallels,  Dr. King's insights provide an essential blueprint on understanding and working in the fight for Black lives 

Focusing on Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, each of the book's eight chapters eloquently probe the mindset and strategies at the heart of the movement. While steeped in historical context,  it conveyed to your humble blogger the sense of applicability for out time. Many of the issues Dr. King and his contemporaries faced are still with us today. This is recognized and often mentioned in the current work for Black lives. It also goes without saying that the civil rights movement has provided a blueprint for the justice work seen today. Thus, it would seem essential to explore the forces behind the movement that laid the foundation for what's being done now. 

Current events have shown it necessary to understand the connection between circumstances of the past and now. Many voices are saying, "If you're wondering what you would have done in the Civil Rights Era, look at what you're doing now".  Why We Can't Wait shows us the mentality and strategy of that time.  Thus, it demonstrates itself necessary and useful today.