Aug 282013
Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced my political thinking more than any other individual. I was fortunate to have worked under him on Vietnam Summer and to have been present on the Washington Mall fifty years ago today on August 28, 1963. It’s hard to believe that we are once again fighting the battle to preserve the voting rights won as a result of his dream, and to restore them, where racist Republicans are outlawing the right to vote. After his speech, I need say nothing more.
21 Responses to “The Dream Remains”
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You will be glad to hear that Martin Luther King's speech's figuring largely on the BBC today – there is an hour long programme on BBC2 tonight at 9pm – and I just turned to the BBC's 24 hour news and saw the poet Benjamin Zephaniah being interviewed about it. Excellent! I wish people would wake up and see how many hard won freedoms are being eroded one by one across the world – we must protest and now!
Right on ans Amen, Pat!
I think I see you there, Tom! How fortunate you were to be there, helping make history. I am awed by the courage it took for blacks (and whites) to achieve what should have been all along. Looks as if we may have to fight the fight again, too, but so be it.
I was fortunate indees, although at 15, I was more of an observer of history than a maker.
It's the last gasp of a dying political culture, white supremecy. And they won't go quietly into the night.
If whites don't fight for minority rights, they don't fight for their own rights, because soon they will be the miniority. Unfortunatley they won't care until they are effected. That's decades away.
That's very true, Steve. I hope their racism does not come back to haunt ME!
28 August 1963. I was eleven years old living in southern Ontario, Canada. Growing up in a traditionally "white bread" area where there were lots of European immigrants (predominently Italian and Hungarian) but almost no Black, Asian or South Asian people, I was lucky to have had people from around the world come through my life, often staying with us. (I still remember Mrs Baba who was from India and had the most charming stories and gave great hugs!) This was a result of my father's work at the YMCA. And I was always taught the beauty of diversity by my paternal grandparents as well. Funny, to this day, I hate white bread and will only eat multigrain or rye!
I was aware of the march on Washington from the news, but its import was lost on me at the time because the year before, my father had taken up with another woman and moved away with her 4 kids, and my mother struggled to find work and feed us. My father, who had forbidden my mother to work or drive, wasn't paying any child support because as a result of his dalliance (which ended up lasting 43 years), he was fired. So life was very much in flux worrying about my own survival, something no child should have to worry about, no matter the reason.
However, in the next few years, I became more aware of the import of the March, or rather its goals of equality from first hand experience with my maternal grandfather who lived in Buffalo, NY. He was an "Archie Bunker" only worse! One day while visiting him, he walked with us to the corner store to buy a Squirt. He suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close saying "Come close girl or the N—–s will get you!" I was shocked and to this day, I have never forgiven him, although he died years and years ago.
Today, the goals of Martin Luther King Jr's march on Washington in 1963 and his "I have a dream…" speech are more important than ever as forces within the US threaten to turn back the clock, but just not on Blacks, but on all people that don't match up to the ideals of "white bread". And it doesn't stop there as religious intolerance bangs at the door too. SCOTUS gutted the VRA allowing this travesty to continue. It must stop!
To paraphrase a portion of MLK Jr's speech from 1963,
We must accept nothing less.
Amen! I'm sorery you had it so rough.
Hey, it helped make me who I am today — size 9, probably a lttle warped but a survivor and a believer that all people have worth and unalienable rights! I can't change what happened but I did and do have the choice now to learn and grow. And I choose to learn and grow! . . . but thanks.
I hear you. I will always regret some of the mistakes I have made, but I'm glad to be the me that learned from them.
Reps. Boehner, Cantor both turned down invitations to speak at the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”.
I’m sure it was because Boehner knew he would cry seeing that many Black voters in one location.
(Why is this comment being "moderated"? It's only got ONE link in it.)
Nameless, usually Akismet (my SPAM filter) does a very good job, and when it does hols something for moderation by mistake, I can usually tell why. This time, I have no clue. I'm sorry.
I will watch in 13 minutes on NBC or MSNBC… 🙂
Good on you, Richard!
Reps. Boehner, Cantor both refused their invitation to speak at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”
I’m sure it was because Boehner knew he would start blubbering at the site of all those Black voters rallying at one location.
Very, very telling about the priorities of the Republicanus/Teabaggers! I hope that the undecided vote remembers such things at the next election.
I am sure you are right!
Also note the presence of Carter, Clinton, and Obama, and the absence of both Bushes.
I was very fortunate to have grown up in one of the few E. Ky. towns that had African american people in it. The coal company that fostered the town imported all nationalities as well. I had friends whose parents were from Hungary, Norway, Italy, England, France, South America. My first girl scout leader was an African american lady whom we all adored. My mother, who was a product of Tennessee and Virginai, held staunchly to the song, Jesus Loves the Little Children, Red and Yellow Black and White, all are precious in his sight. I am so grateful to my Mom for this. It always shocks me when someone I have known all my life expresses racism, given that we all grew up the same way. I was at the University of Ky when the sit ins started in Lexington, ky and the march on Frankfort started. My friends were all involved in the search for equality. Yet here we are, 50 years later, still seeking equality for all. Sad
It need not be so, and were it not for Republicans, it would not be so.