What Does MLK Jr. Have to Do with Homelessness?
The Tragic Death of Cornelius Taylor
This week in Atlanta, a community member experiencing homelessness named Cornelius Taylor was tragically killed by a city truck during a public encampment sweep. Instead of checking the tents that were being bulldozed, Cornelius was still inside his tent.
His life not only reminds us of how public policy and public sanitation sweeps target those who are unhoused but also how dehumanizing it is to have not only your belongings but even your existence swept away. This breaks my heart in ways I cannot describe.1
For decades,2 cities have used public sweeps to remove people who are not wanted in a part of town. However, these sweeps do more than stop people from being in an area:
• People’s personal belongings are often confiscated or destroyed.
• People are displaced without alternatives.
• People are targeted and forced to deal with the grief of loss.
• And now, lives are being taken.
I have traveled the country and witnessed firsthand how cities, through public sweeps, have not only destroyed people’s lives but also caused severe trauma by creating nearly insurmountable hurdles, such as the loss of vital documents and the loss of community.
I’ve heard countless stories of how impersonal these sweeps are. City workers are often unaware of—or indifferent to—the personal stories and struggles of the people whose lives they disrupt, forcing them to start over with nothing. There are stories on the other side of displacement, and those stories matter.
Most of the time, these sweeps also lack caseworkers or clinical support. It is wrong to sweep people away, prioritizing aesthetics over real solutions. Sweeps disrupt lives, destroy communities, and send a harmful message to society that the lives of those who are unhoused are not worth it—they humiliate and harm rather than humanize.
As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2025, his vision of the Beloved Community feels more urgent than ever amidst the growing homelessness crisis. King called us to imagine a society rooted in justice, equity, and compassion—values that those who are unhoused desperately need today.
His vision wasn’t just a dream for the future but a call to action to create dignity and belonging for everyone in the present.
At the heart of King’s vision was the idea of the “world house,” a community where those who had been excluded were embraced, and everyone’s humanity was recognized. His dream wasn’t about benefiting one group; it was about the collective good, including those marginalized by systemic injustice.
The same must apply when we talk about homelessness, especially as it is on the rise.3 As we reflect on this tragedy, we must say no.
• No to the sweeping of lives.
• No to the displacement of people who are beloved.
• No to the inhuman way that we have allowed society to target those who are unhoused through anti-homelessness ordinances.
• And no to the erasure of this beloved community.
This coming week, we will advocate for the voices of those who are publicly swept because every person deserves to be seen, valued, and loved—regardless of whether they have a physical address.
Dr. King’s vision reminds us that true justice calls us to embrace those on the margins and to declare, boldly and unequivocally, that no life is disposable.
As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy this MLK Day, I hope those who quote his words but fail to live by them take a moment to consider what it truly means to call an unhoused person a neighbor and to envision a community where every person is valued, seen, and heard.
When King said, “We are tied together in an inescapable garment of destiny,” he reminded us of our shared humanity and collective responsibility.
His life was a testament to interconnectedness, interrelatedness, and interdependence. To honor his vision, we must ensure that those experiencing homelessness are included in the Beloved Community he so boldly envisioned.
11Alive. “Person Killed by Crews Clearing Homeless Encampment.” 11Alive News. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/person-killed-crews-clearing-homeless-encampment/85-6fd59f91-9d16-4767-8680-1ee5c7f11170.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Hiding a City’s Homelessness Crisis Through Displacement: What the Olympics Remind Us About Harmful Practices.” National Alliance to End Homelessness. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://endhomelessness.org/blog/hiding-a-citys-homelessness-crisis-through-displacement-what-the-olympics-remind-us-about-harmful-practices/.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “U.S. Homelessness Rose by Record 18% in 2024, HUD Reports.” HUD.gov, December 27, 2024. https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_24_327.
Listen to the Imgaine Dignity Podcast [HERE]
Order “Zion Learns To See: Opening Our Eyes To Homelessness” [HERE]
If you want to explore homelessness in the U.S., please consider reading “I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes to Invisible People.”
Explore my book “When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together” to learn about the impact of community involvement and collective action on social change.
Discover “All God’s Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity to gain insight into the significance of understanding the historical narratives that shape people and how you might stand in solidarity with your neighbor.
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Thank you for this piece. I went over there last night and reflected on this with one of the guys who lives at that encampment too. Originally from Montgomery, Alabama. Lots of cycles we are not properly breaking
The tragic death of Cornelius Taylor in Atlanta is a stark reminder of the dehumanizing treatment often faced by those experiencing homelessness. This heartbreaking incident echoes the dystopian scenes from the movie "Soylent Green" (1973), where human lives are carelessly discarded by the use of bulldozers.
As someone who has witnessed the struggles of the unhoused in San Francisco, Ca, I understand the pain and frustration of seeing people shamed, penalized, and judged simply for lacking a place to call home. The practice of conducting sweeps before corporate events, as if to hide a city's most vulnerable residents, is a cruel manifestation of society's failure to address the root causes of homelessness.
Cornelius Taylor's death is not just a tragedy; it's a damning indictment of a system that values cleanliness and appearance over human dignity and life. Dr. King's words about love curing hatred ring hollow when we compartmentalize our compassion, excluding those who don't fit into our narrow definitions of worthiness.
This incident serves as a grim reminder that until we truly see the humanity in all people, regardless of their housing status, we risk perpetuating a cycle of violence and indifference that can lead to such devastating consequences.