January 21st, 2008
What Did I Know - MLK
What did I know in eighth or ninth grade when I picked up this sweatshirt, which at the time had arms, at a thrift shop? There were a few of them, a group of us, just cutting our thinking teeth, swooped them up and left knowing the coup we’d made. Hey, they were cool, large, and could be worn with jeans or pajamas.
Oh yea, did I say this already? They were cool, because you know, he had a dream.
Seems there is a little more to it than that.
The Real Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - those other speeches
Tributes to MLK tend to ignore his complexity
peace
MLK was not perfect but his advocacy - the hell with HRC’s claims otherwise - was a key element in a large segment of the American population being able to use their basic civil rights.
Too bad many of the current political crew and some within the black community are trying to turn back that clock. All in the name of political power.
Someday, Boston University might even return some of MLK’s papers to the rightful owner.
Some informtive stuff there cooper, thanks.
Love the sweatshirt.
Political power needs to be taken. Now it is given or bought.
There is always more to the story than they cram into any given class. It’s not information we should have to go searching for. Thanks to the internet we don’t have as far to go looking for it.
Unrelated - I like the hour time frame for editing comments.
Hope you have a holiday today.
Kings was complex and without question the towering hero of the 20th century United States. I enjoyed the article you linked to in Black Perspective. I suspect his work for racial equality is remembered more than his class-based work because there is a broad consensus in the social mind, documented by historical outcomes that racial equality is just and constructive. The redistribution of wealth as a means to justice and a better society has not convinced most of us and the historical record is full of contrary evidence, whether conclusive or not.
Even I had no words, worthy or not to say–nothing could top his
The article you linked to was disturbing in its truth
I know too many people today–Black & White who distill King’s accomplishments
I could make cases for Bobby Seale, James Farmer–any number of Black leaders–but they weren’t MLK–their notion of change was much more restrictive
And I so wished I had been older and able to work in the civil rights movement–we forget that girls/women were fully accepted in it, and never as accepted in anti Viet Nam movement
I love how you know when to hold em. (redirect)
Yeah. He was tolerated more or less until he cracked open that can-o-worms labeled “classist agenda.” Exact same thing that got Kennedy killed. The status quo will do everything within it’s power to maintain.
Cooper -
Thanks for posting such seminal pieces and showing how powerful Dr. King and his words are still affecting us - right or wrong - meaning, how some people latch on to him and then have to admit that they weren’t even in the picture - aka Jesse Jackson, and Mitt’s faux pas, Hillary-ous and the rest of the sniveling set.
Those of you who really want to know who Dr. King was should read Taylor Branch’s ‘trilogy’ - Parting The Waters: America In the King Years 1954-1963, Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-1965 and lastly, At Cannan’s Edge: America in the King years 1965-1968.
If any of you have other book titles that can compete with Branch’s, then please advise.
Oh yeah, the piece re: “Tributes to MLK tend to ignore his complexity” article by MSNBC - is rather revisionistic and, in my opinion, not worthy of the pen and paper wasted to write that tripe. You’ll find my take on this over at morganrants. But I’ve pretty much said the same thing here.
Thanks again for your decorum and gifted insight.
sk: I’m sort of with Jacob on this one, political power needs to be taken, because quite frankly the way it is here someone always owns it, might as well be African Americans owning their own power eh? The can’t do any worse with the power than the white man now can they?
jacob: Do not eye my sweatshirt.
casey: To know you went to class makes me feel a whole lot better. Yea school holiday, not a free from library holiday but still.
Doug: That I have smart readers is my saving grace. That some of them disguise themselves as Dogs is beside the point.
Pia: You make me almost wish I had been there.
john: When one has nothing intelligent to say on the subject but the subject must be brought up it is always better to defer…or what..redirect.
Dave: We do know more now and s some way have more power because of it.
Morgan: You know, I was going to remove that earlier as it can’t compete with the blogs. As a blogger, for several years, who at one time doubted the political power of blogs would be significant for some time to come, but who has seen some of the best essays written, as well as some of the worse, in blogs, I tend to (still) hold on to the belief that real media is truth - even knowing that it isn’t so, and that to validate myself I must point out a source other than a blog. I will remember next time there is no need to do that. ;0
You also have dogs disguising themselves as smart readers.
Doug: I suspected that once or twice, but only when I was taking that preflight Ativan.
I don’t suppose one of those dogs would like to “blog for choice” for me would they…ruff ruff. ;)