It’s not quite the right day- but, in America, we seem to opt for Monday holidays. So, today, not the 15th, we are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. It is interesting to note that his last book turns out to be a most timely concept for discussion today.
To honor Dr. King, I will share a trip a few of us made.
It’s been 4 years now. Given that 2020 was pandemonia, it feels more like a lifetime ago. That was when I (and about 149 of my fellow congregants) went traipsing about Selma, Alabama. In an essay to recreate for ourselves and our children the march from Selma to Montgomery that happened some (now) 57 years ago.
We all spent the weekend walking the steps of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Reverend James Reeb, Joanne Bland, and a slew of others. We were able to experience a recreation of Rosa Parks’ abbreviated bus ride in Montgomery. Thanks to our bus ride to Birmingham, we also were able to recognize the pain of four young children murdered by WrongWing American terrorists at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
For me, this trip yielded an added bonus. I finally learned how my little part, registering Blacks to vote in Nashville, Tennessee, actually played in the grand scheme of things. Those efforts complemented other college students’ work to change the process in the cities of Farmville (VA), Greensboro (NC), Charleston (SC), Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma (AL), Albany (GA), Little Rock (AR), and New Orleans (LA).
Given the pervasive racism (and anti-Semitism) that now permeates our great nation (aided and abetted by TheDonald- with his acceptance of neoNazi marches in Charlottesville (Virginia) and his rampant deprecation of Blacks and Hispanics (including his “Shithole Countries” characterization, and the invasion of the US Capitol), it’s time we all reflect on the lessons that should have been learned- and sealed- by the example of the Reverend Martin Luther King’s life.
I am amazed at the current climate we have here today. I wish race was not even an issue! Why should it be?
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Um. Because a certain resident of Pennsylvania Avenue feels free to vent his venomous thoughts- which provides cover for the rest of the folks who harbor such ill-begotten views, Paul. Thanks for the visit and the comment.
What scary times we are in these days. I always think of that saying that those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. I can only pray that loves wins over hate.
The problem is that some have learned how to exude even more hate- and then decry that they are the least racist person they know. (Of course, if you analyze that statement, you just recognize how racist their friends really are!)
How neat that you and your children had that experience! And I so agree that we should have learned those lessons by now.
Yup. We can only do better by seeing how we failed in the past and seek out alternative responses. Thanks, Jeanine.
Roy, I remember that series on your blog. I’ve only been to Alabama once. But, last January, I visited Charlottesville. We have such a long way to go, and now we are moving backwards.
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When I lived in Charlottesville, I was hard pressed to discern a great deal of difference between it and Alabama or Tennessee. So, I was less surprised with the failure of the police (UniCops [University of Virginia police], VSP [Virginia State Police], and Charlottesville’s own police force- I only don’t mention Albemarle Sheriffs because they weren’t involved in this instance) to handle the situation. (They’ve had lots of practice at NOT reacting to acts of prejudice and hate.)
Really interesting and moving story. Thank you, Roy.
I wish we could just study it as history- but it has become a current event issue since 20 January 2017, Alice.
i recall that post of the walk you did! that was inspiring.. i was reading MLK’s article regarding his visit to India here and that opened up my eyes some more too.. (http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/primarydocuments/Vol5/July1959_MyTriptotheLandofGandhi.pdf)
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It was his concept to incorporate Ghandi’s philosophy and actions to augment the cause of civil rights in the US. I hadn’t seen your reference, and I thank you for that share!
I remember your blog posts about your trip to Selma. That must have been so interesting especially on MLK Day since you can relive your trip.
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It was pretty cool. OF course, my brain kept jumping back to my feelings of decades before…or was that terror experiences?
Thank you for sharing this. I wonder what Dr. King would think of this current climate. I can only imagine there would be sadness in his eyes.
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Oh, Barb, I think he’d be totally distraught over the economic conditions. Remember, he was killed BF- before Milton Friedman- who advocated for the abrogation of social responsibility of corporations. That’s when the 1% began its ascent.