Song of the day:
Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and all that he did for this country. I encourage you to take time to read some of his words, and not just the famous speeches. Don’t just look at the quotes on your social media pages. Dig a little, find something a bit more interesting, try to learn something new. Here are a few things I learned while writing this post (from The Nobel Prize biography):
He graduated from high school at the age of 15.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts (studied medicine and law) and a Bachelor of Divinity, as well as a doctorate; he was also awarded 5 honorary degrees.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize when he was 35 years old, the youngest man to win the award.
On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has deepened my faith in the relevance of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change is peacefully to take place.” (from History.com)
King had never meant nonviolent protest to mean “wait and see.” In fact, he made very clear that rebellions have their place in America. Just a few weeks before he died, in a packed high school gym just outside Detroit, constantly interrupted by a rowdy right-wing crowd picketing his appearance, King had these radical words to say: “…it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?…It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.” (“The Other America,” 1968). (from History.com)
I was two months old when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and sometimes it boggles my mind that I was actually alive at the same time he was, albeit for only two months. For much of my life I knew him because of the big speeches, the famous quotes, and a book of quotes I got back in college. I remember the governor of Arizona being impeached when I was in college because he wouldn’t pass the bill regarding MLK Day. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started to dig a little deeper, that I realized that while he was a peaceful man he wasn’t timid. He was very direct in many of his writings and speeches, calling out the white supremacy he saw all around him. It’s what got him killed and what continues to get Black Americans killed to this day. He saw the world for what it was and did everything he could to make it better. I’m sure he would be angry and sad that not much has changed since he left this world. But I think he would be encouraged by the strength of the Black community and the myriad of activists following in his footsteps to make things better.
There’s going to be a vote soon on the combined John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. It seems somehow fitting that this is happening around MLK Day. He would have wanted everyone to have the opportunity to vote, to make their voice heard. He would have been out there campaigning for this with all that he had. I wonder if he and John are having some discussions about it right now.
The House passed the revamped bill but there is a battle in the senate (shocking), and I honestly don’t know if it will pass. You can read more in this article from The Root. It’s truly obscene how many people want to restrict voting and make it harder for those in marginalized communities to cast their ballots. I pray that this goes the right way but I just don’t know. When you’ve got two democratic senators talking like republicans, well, it’s not good. If you’re in a state whose senators are planning to vote against the bill, PLEASE take the time to call them and tell them how important it is, why you support, and why it’s necessary.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr. in his book, Strength to Love
Video of the day: