Maybe the world catches up to what you’ve been saying. Maybe not.
And I come by here to say that America too is going to Hell, if we don’t use her wealth. If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty, to make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she too will go to Hell.
Malcolm X was on a postage stamp; I doubt he was loved by the majority while he was alive. The above quote is by Martin Luther King. It’s probably not an original thought, but I’m struck by the canonization of MLK by white America now that he’s dead. The sum total of knowledge about MLK in most people’s consciousness is that little bit about people not being judged by the color of their skin. And they misuse it to suggest MLK said we should be colorblind. Which isn’t the message at all.
As Father Pfleger pointed out, King was an activist. He was considered a radical. In the years prior to his murder, he was busy being tear-gassed and stabbed and thrown in jail and his colleagues were being beaten and murdered. Courts ruled that he could not peacefully protest. And those are his words above, about America going to hell. Do they sound a little familiar?
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May 1, 2008 at 4:56 pm
more cowbell
“The sum total of knowledge about MLK in most people’s consciousness is that little bit about people not being judged by the color of their skin. And they misuse it to suggest MLK said we should be colorblind.” Yes, yes, yes. Truer words…
The same thing is being done to both MLK and Rev. Wright — tiny pieces of their speeches are being plucked out to represent the whole of their beliefs. (and to justify fears and assumptions)
And whether they use “good” or “bad” tidbits of these mens’ words, in both cases it’s to the benefit of the people who are picking those tidbits out. If those same people today listened to ALL of Dr. King’s speeches, they’d be surprised. Same w/ Rev. Wright’s. But folks don’t want to do that, because then they might have to rethink things…
May 1, 2008 at 7:39 pm
panracial
The book “The Word of the Lord is Upon Me” by Jonathan Rieder which addresses the two sides of MLK (the real one and the remembered one) well.
June 5, 2008 at 8:53 pm
On Rev. Jeremiah White and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. « I Need to Calm Down
[...] I want to point people to this post over at Resist racism, although most of you have likely seen it already: “And I come by here to say that America [...]