MLK - Beyond "I Have A Dream"

This is an update to my annual MLK remembrance. I really wanted to post "A Knock At Midnight"... the greatest of all the MLK sermons/speeches in my opinion. But I have not been able to convert this sermon from my analog tape to digital. Unfortunately I don't have a Cassette-CD converter.

But there is still plenty of material here to read/watch/and listen to.

NPR has a story about a project by Jazz Bassist Christian McBribe showing his appreciation for Dr. King.

There is also a two hour special from American Routes, celebrating King and the Civil Rights Era through music...and pointing out the role of music during the height of the movement. Definitely a program that you should not miss. Listen while you can... I don't know how long the audio will be available.

Hear Hour 1

Hear Hour 2

I have also added "I've Been To the Mountaintop" in its entirety.

This is definitely an historic year (already...just a few weeks into 2009). Barack Obama... the first non-white U.S. President...or first U.S. President of Color will be sworn in the day after Kings birthday is officially observed. If that's not enough, Obama- the product of the Union of a Kenyan Father and White mother from Kansas- will take the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol built largely with African Slave labor. He will then enter the White House for the first time as President... a House built by African Slaves. They don't even attempt to make movies with pendulums that swing this far... because it just seems too unreal. A journey like this has only been the purview of Comedy writers, and the SNL skits... because it just couldn't happen in real life. It was only a couple of years ago that there was a TV drama and a movie depicting a Black President in a serious role.

I just hope Obama understands Kings' message in The Drum Major Instinct, and Kings' passion for international peace, and his feelings toward growing U.S. militarism & imperialist tendencies.... a passion which was just as strong as his passion for Civil Rights, if not stronger. I can already conclude that Hillary Clinton does not get it...and has probably never gotten it, and never will. This is a woman who has been quoted threatening Iran.... saying that she would destroy obliterate Iran (with U.S. nukes) if she were President. But, as Secretary of State, I am hoping that she will reflect the policy and vision of the President. That's really the only hope we have for any sort of Progressive, peaceful international policy over the next 4 years; because left to her own devices, Hillary Clinton would go in a much more Neo-Conservative direction. Under these circumstances, I am hoping that Obama really has an understanding of what King stood for. Obama's policy choices... especially on the economic and foreign policy fronts, will show if Dr. King is really part of his conscience in any serious way, or if he is simply paying lip service when he speaks of his admiration for King.

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NOTE:

And while we remember the true essence of King, I can't help but mention what some of the Traditional "Black Leaders" & Black "Luminaries" will be up to on this day... apparently they will be at another Corporate event... (surprise surprise) using the King Holiday & the Obama inauguration to help Pepsi Co. with branding and relaunching their products under a new image, with the motto of "Refreshing the World". Are they kidding me? I thought this was a joke at first glance... but it's apparently true. There is something disturbing about the whole idea. Maybe it's just me. And i'm a little disappointed to see Dr. West participating in such an event.

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There was much more to Dr. King than I Have A Dream. Americans will be bombarded today (and in February) with loops of the famous I Have A Dream speech being played 10,000 times. But you won't see or hear the speech here. The U.S. uses that speech as a way to disarm Kings message. It has been ironic to watch the U.S. government "honor" King over the last few years, particularly while the U.S. has been at war, yet they avoid mentioning anything about his well known moral and political position on War....and the War in Vietnam in particular. Just take out the word Vietnam and replace it with Iraq, and it sounds like King is talking in the present.

It's a shame that his Holiday is not truly celebrated in this country. Most people see it as just another day. Most White Americans barely recognize the day. It's a shame and very ironic that a man who spoke against segregation has a national Holiday that is segregated in terms of how people recognize it.

Below, I have included 5 great speeches from Dr King, some of them dealing with his feelings about war.

What Would MLK Say About The World Today?

What Would Dr. King Think About What Was Going On In The World Today?

He basically told us 4 decades ago.... we were just a little late arriving to the show.
If we would just listen to these Prophets when they are here sounding the alarm, maybe we could avoid more disasters. Many of the things that King spoke of 4 decades ago, we see today. It is a combination of things not changing, and King being way ahead of his time, foretelling issues and threats decades ago that we are now seeing develop today in our lifetimes.

Listen to the speech The Drum Major Instinct, given in February of 1968. This is one of my favorite speeches, and one that never gets old. It is so relevant for today. It's also one of Kings great messages. However, his greatest & most powerful speech, in my opinion, has to be a speech titled "A Knock At Midnight". Scary speech. Unfortunately I don’t have A Knock At Midnight in a digital format. But Drum Major Instinct is also one of his great messages….one of my top 3 favorites.

I Have a Dream is a great speech but it is not his greatest work. But America often uses I Have a Dream to try to sanitize King, and box him into being a Civil Rights/Racial Equality leader. The fact is, between 1965 & 1968, King was the leading anti-war voice and leading voice for economic equality in the country. I think that is part of the reason that he was gunned down. This is the part of Kings history that is hardly ever told. It's the part of his history that America tries to smother every year when the nation goes through its so called "remembrance". If they really wanted to honor King they would rewrite the school books to tell the true story about his efforts. He was not just a civil rights leader. If they wanted to honor him, they would try to live up to his vision....a vision that went beyond race and civil rights. Peace was at the heart of his struggle. He was just as passionate as an anti-war advocate as he was as a civil rights advocate....and perhaps maybe even more so as a Peace advocate.

Other Great Speeches

Sticking Together

Beyond Vietnam (Speaking Out Against The Vietnam War in front of a national group of Clergy in New York, April 4, 1967; exactly one year before he died. )

See Text of Beyond Vietnam Speech

Related Article

Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE FOR EASIER PLAYBACK (similar speech given in front of his own congregation at the Ebenezer Baptist Church)

But If Not

I've Been To The Mountain Top - His Final Speech, April 3, 1968, given in Memphis Tennessee. Under an unusually high number of death threats, and feeling ill, King went to speak anyway, braving the assassins and the bad weather.

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See a video interview with Rev. Joseph Lowery from a couple of years ago. Link To Webpage.

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Democracy Now Covers MLK

Great Story About Kings Last Hours In Memphis Helping the Sanitation Workers

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Great Article

Reclaiming King: Beyond “I Have A Dream” Read Here.

Update to NPR's Race Series - Part 4 Added

Part 4 of the series has been added. Listen to parts 3 & 4 here.


"If Obama is elected, there will be chaos"-- Interviewee from York Pennsylvania
(an example of how fear is still influencing people)

"Talking Black"

Hear a discussion between John McWhorter and biracial voice actress and playwright Sarah Jones on the subject of voice and language and how you are perceived based on how you sound. The discussion centers around "Talking Black"...and the so-called "blaccent". (link below).

Sarah Jones is an amazing voice artist....

This segment is courtesy of the Studio 360 public radio program (PRI).

From Studio 360:

Black is not just a skin color; it’s a quality of voice. Sarah Jones, the Tony Award-winning performer, talks with linguist John McWhorter about what it means to sound black today. They look at how Barack Obama has used “blaccent” to drive audiences wild.

Click to hear the Sarah Jones, John McWhorter discussion.

You are definitely treated differently based on voice. There have been a couple of cases where it has caused me grief. My voice and use of language is not immediately identifiable as "Black" whatever that definition is. I would describe my voice as being close to that of Alfonso Ribeiro. Soliloquy: (I may have a similar voice, but I wish I had his money...and his women... My goodness! But that's for another post). While on a job search (many years back) I called and set up an interview with a major Department store's loss prevention team. This was a fancy chain (top of the market) located in the rich, mostly white Western suburbs of St. Louis County. The average home price in that area has to be $500,000-$600,000 or more, which is high for this part of the Country. Clearly they had an opening. I described my work history over the phone, explained that I was already licensed to do the work, and I had references. The lady on the other end (the hiring manager) explained that she really needed to fill the slot which had just come open and that I should come to the store and talk to her in person the next day, basically for an interview.

So the next day I arrive at the agreed time (cleaner than the board of health of course), resume's in hand, ready to go. I went to the Customer service desk and asked to speak to the hiring manager that I talked with the previous day, and they told me to wait...that she would be right out.

When she finally arrived.... her attitude seemed to change from the one she had over the phone. I wish I could have had a way to see inside of her mind when she walked up and realized that I was Black. All of a sudden they weren't looking to hire "right at that moment". She stated something to the effect that she was sorry that she may have misled me over the phone... but she was fully staffed at the moment. After about 3-5 minutes of her blow-off routine I realized that I had wasted my time getting ready...and driving across town. She told me to fill out an application and that they would call when there was an opening.

There have been a few situations like this in my life... I can't erase them from my memory... I recall them like they happened yesterday. Another incident similar to this one happened when I was looking for an apartment.

I was also teased in school for the way I talked (using...or attempting to use standard, proper English). Most of it came from.... can you guess?... Black students. I started to use standard English as my default language after I moved from St. Louis to Kansas back in the early-mid 1980's... I went from a mostly Black grade school... to an almost all white (but mixed) grade school in what was basically rural Kansas...although the town I was in could be considered a KC suburb...a far flung one. From that point on I was in mostly white, but mixed schools. Although as a young teen I listened to rap music and that had an influence on me. But as I got older....15, 16, 17.... I began to drift away from that and really started using standard English. Before that I would code switch...but later I began to stick with one use of English more often.

Now, as an adult, I find myself (unconsciously) doing the switching thing again...although slightly. I still run into the perception problems though.
I hate the idea that there is some box that i'm supposed to be in... a box that someone has assigned for me, telling me how I am supposed to talk and act.

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BONUS

Hear another, more extensive interview with Sarah Jones from a couple of years ago.

America Still Has a Long Way To Go

This Country has come a long way, but it has such a long way to go.

It will take a few more generations before we can tear down the walls of the cultural divide.

Have Palin/McCain set us back... or have they simply brought out a lot of things that were already festering in people? I have been reading about cases where people didn't realize (for years) that their neighbors felt a certain way....and now they are shocked. But I think there is more good out there than bad and in the end, the good will prevail. It has to.

John McCain Gets KO'd On MSNBC

Keith Olbermann lays into John McCain for whipping up hate and xenophobia at his Campaign rallies, including the Sarah Palin events, and for his failure to take action to change the atmosphere and challenge the behavior of his followers.

A Short comment, but a good one.

Racial Prejudice and the 2008 Election

NPR has just completed the first segment of a series of programs that focus on how race will influence voters in the upcoming election.

In the first program (in two parts) the hosts talk with voters in York Pennsylvania.

This is a must listen....

Hear Part I

Hear Part II

It helps confirm many of the problems that I have been pointing out regarding the aptitude of the American voter, and the impact identity politics may play in this election. This is why Democrats should have cause for concern.

This election, in my view, may likely come down to Race for many voters.

A Story About The Racial Divide

I heard the following story on the Sunday before the MLK Holiday. The irony was hard to miss.

The story, told by performer Elna Baker, was from the program This American Life, and was the last act (Act 3) of a series with the general theme of "Matchmaking".

One part of me wants to see a more colorblind society, but another part of me (my realism) knows that it's probably not possible. Just look at the situation with Barack Obama for instance, and the issue of the "Bradley Effect" and being successfully characterized by the Clintons as the "Black Candidate", as opposed to the Candidate who happens to be Black. It shows that even when someone is focused on keeping race out of the discussion as an issue or a problem (as Obama had "hoped" to do), it still ends up being an issue.

Listen to the whole 16 minute segment

Summary from the website:

Act Three. Babies Buying Babies.

Elna Baker reads her story about the time she worked at the giant toy store, FAO Schwartz. Her job was to sell these lifelike “newborns” which were displayed in a “nursery” inside the store. When the toys become the hot new present, they begin to fly off the shelves. When the white babies sell out, white parents are faced with a choice: will they go for an Asian, Latino, or African-American baby instead? What happens is so disturbing that Elna has a hard time even telling it. (16 minutes)

Listen To Program (To get to Act 3, allow the audio stream to load and fast forward to the 41 minute mark)

Oprah Receiving a Backlash For Supporting Obama?

It seems that Race is rearing its head once again in the Democratic Presidential Primary.

According to reports, Oprah is suffering a backlash from her White, Middle-class & upper-class Female viewers. I can't say that i'm shocked. My cynicism realism told me that this might happen if Oprah explicitly supported a Presidential candidate, especially a candidate who was Black and Male. This is because of the demographic that you typically see on Oprah... mostly White, Middle Class and Upper Middle Class...and even elite fans from the suburbs. People who grew to "trust" Oprah over the last 2 decades. Now they feel that Oprah has betrayed Women in favor of her Race. Why her support of Obama has to be a Race issue, I don't know. But it seems to be an easy excuse for those upset by Oprah's Obama endorsement. Oprah was in a no win situation here. I understood her reasons for not entering the political fray in previous years. But now I really understand why she stayed out of politics for so long.

Obama was definitely naive to think that voters in one of the most racist Countries on Earth would treat him as a viable, capable candidate. No matter how qualified or competent a Black Man might be, he will never get the same respect from the wider society that non-Blacks receive.

It looks like "hope" is finally meeting reality.

It's ironic that on Kings Holiday there are so many things that remind us of just how little this Country has really evolved in terms of Race.

Juan Williams Discusses Growing Divide in "Black America"

Juan Williams examined the Black intra-racial divide on NPR's News and Notes program yesterday (Thursday). This has been evident for the last several years.... but Bill Cosby helped to really get a discussion going on the issue. It seems that before Cosby so boldly raised the issue, Black Americans were treating it like the Elephant in the room.

Well Juan acknowledges the Elephant. He discusses data from a recent NPR/Pew Research report on the issue of racial identity. The report seems to support what I have felt for a long time- that there is no such thing as a "Black America" per se. That is such a monolithic term and I have never favored the way that it has been used. This society is always attempting to place Black people in a box. In fact, Blacks seem to be the most "Boxed in" of all the major ethnic groups.

However, since the Civil Rights struggle of half a century ago, Blacks have become much more diverse, socially, culturally, economically, and politically. This is especially true in terms of cultures and values. The truth is, there is no overriding issue, such as unmitigated racism, that requires the kind of oneness or unity that was seen 50 years ago. Blacks have chosen many different paths. Unfortunately the media has not caught on to that fact. We are still referred to in monolithic terms....and it annoys the hell out of me. Ironically, this media ignorance has been one of the reasons for my push back against the Rap Culture, BET and the like, because there is this track record on the part of the media to lump Black folks together in one big pot.

The results of this study are not new to Black Americans, since many have known this for years. But it may be news for the news reporters and the TV producers. Will they do something constructive with this information, such as change the way they refer to Black people or change the way they report events? Somehow I doubt it.

The report is similar to Dubois's two Souls analogy, although it is now manifesting in different ways.

This Black cultural split is real and "the community" is becoming more divergent everyday. This is why I also don't like the term "Black Community" because it suggests a oneness that does not really exist and has not existed since the Black Pride movement of the 70's thru parts of the 80's. Black people are clearly choosing different value systems and lifestyles. In addition, the Black intra-racial gap is also growing in terms of economics and education.

There is a permanent underclass that is emerging, and Black Americans will disproportionally be a large part of that group.... and this time it will not be because of an oppressive White Man holding them back, it will be because of the choices that they have made and the value systems that they embrace.

So how will Black people identify in the future since the skin color paradigm is being shattered? A more important question might be... would society (esp. the Media) finally recognize our diversity?

It is amazing to me that in 2007, people like Dog Chapman, Michael Richards, Don Imus, etc feel that they can run to ONE MAN whom they feel represents all Black people. It's insulting. When Dog Chapman ran to Al Sharpton, it was just as insulting to me as the racist tirade itself... perhaps even more insulting.

But as long as we share Brown skin, I think we will always be treated as a monolith. This, in a way, is turning into a new form of racism. White Americans are seldom required to deal with these racial identity issues. But as a Black American I constantly feel under attack... as if I must constantly answer for the wrongs, the lifestyle choices and the values embraced by the wider group.