MLK

Martin Luther King Day recently came and went so I feel the prominent historical figure is a character worth thinking about for a bit. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of those characters from the pages of history that pretty much everyone knows, and there's very good reason for that. He was a central figure in the civil rights movement, and he's widely regarded as a man who represented some of the best aspects of humanity. The man had many memorable quotes but without a doubt, his most well known was his "I have a dream" speech. In that speech he said the famous words: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." At that time and even now those are powerful words, and unfortunately, I would not say that such a dream has been realized. From what I've read and heard about Doctor King, those were far from his only well known hopes. He had a very powerful vision for not only the future of the United States, but for the future of humanity. What he wanted, at least by his own words, is a world that again, hasn't quite been realized, but I believe it can be. It will take quite some time, and will require much effort, much patience, and even more unlearning. Nothing worth having comes easy, is basically my philosophy on the matter, but now I'm going to turn to another matter which is how the reverend is viewed today. Very unfortunately, it's become a very frequent occurrence for individuals or groups to capitalize on the good name and reputation of MLK for their own purposes. It's filled me with great disappointment to see people of all creeds and colors advancing their own agenda by saying things such as "I believe Doctor King would have supported this". I sincerely doubt that's what he intended to bring about with all his work to bring people together in a time of such animosity. While it's very frustrating to see such a practice, I think it needs to be remembered that the actions of others cant be controlled and perhaps it would be best to focus on living out the messages the man fought for in ones own individual life. At least, that's what think about such things personally. That brings me to another matter which is a large topic of the discussion concerning MLK and that is my very participation in it. As a man of Caucasian descent, to say that it would be awkward to assume that I should be entitled to blast the world with my opinions concerning such a prominent figure in Black American culture would be a grand understatement. I'm fully aware that I'm essentially doing just that with this entry but basically nobody reads this so I'd say I'm fine. However there are many white people who seem to have the attitude that they're opinions and positions are absolutely necessary in each and every discussion concerning race in America and that's something that I strongly disagree with. Obviously MLK wasn't just a figure in African American culture, but he's a great means to segue into that matter. I wish I could just broadcast the message to European Americans that when it comes to matters of race, our opinion isn't required in every single instance and even in many cases, it isn't wanted. That's nothing to be taken offensively, it's just important to understand that there are some matters that people of other ethnic backgrounds deal with that we don't need to be a part of. Personally, I'm absolutely fine with that. That may be because I relish in knowing something isn't my problem and when told that I don't need to be involved, I quickly feel a sense of relief, however I'm beginning to digress like I often do. MLK was a more complicated figure than many people realize. He wasn't just all about unity happiness and rainbows. He told many difficult truths and many things that people didn't want to hear. Everyone loves his "I have a dream" speech but he had many others that people had a problem with. For Christ sake, the FBI had tabs on him, suspecting that he, along with many other prominent civil rights figures, had connections with communism. That says quite a bit. It says that the powers that be felt threatened by the reverend. I think that many individuals who were in places of power understood that he intended to bring about change, and that meant their power was in jeopardy. Many have cited that as the reason for his assassination and I honestly believe there is merit to that. He was an agitator in the eyes of many of those in power during the time, and that's a very significant thing to remember. However, I want to finish this entry on a positive note. With MLK day having passed, we've gone back to our regular schedules and will no longer be thinking about the man. I think that's a serious problem. I don't think people should just appreciate MLK on the holiday, because he had various messages of relevancy that should never be chained down to a limited time frame. Dr. King had a powerful vision and one that isn't just a nice thing we should be working towards. In my mind, creating the vision that Dr. King laid out isn't optional and if it isn't accomplished, the consequences will be fatal. I think he believed something similar and I say that because of my favorite quote of his, which is what I will be ending this entry with. This quote is powerful in my eyes because in it, he essentially states that if we don't come together, we won't make it:

"We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools."