Race @ MindSay

Today, on the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. I had an epiphany. I decided that in a strange, sad way, it is good that he isn't around today. Today, he would have been 79 years of age, old by any means. When he died at the age of 39, he became a legend of the civil rights era. He will always be known as a man who dreamed for something better for the oppressed, and who died for that dream. Our image of the man is most often idealistic. People talk of him like he was invincible-- the way people talk about heroes.

And yet, our world would have eaten the man alive. We have a great desire to see the mighty fall, and heroes crushed and tainted. They would take his dream of hope and find one loose thread to tug until it all unraveled. What would remain would be all that he ever was: an ordinary human being. Then we would brand him. He would be called a racist because he wouldn't settle for superficial optimism about race. He would have been called un-American long before now because he wouldn't be waving a flag and pretending that the fight for equality is over.

No, Dr. King would still be dreaming of something better.

At least now we hear his inspirational speeches once a year and are reminded that there are people in our past, despite their occasionally missteps, that helped inspire great change in our society. In his death, he has remained largely unscathed-- praised as a civil rights hero. I want to leave you with words of the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who believed above all else that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Please enjoy.

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"Now, early in the century this proposal would have been greeted with ridicule and denunciation as destructive of initiative and responsibility. At that time economic status was considered the measure of the individual's abilities and talents. And in the thinking of that day, the absence of worldly goods indicated a want of industrious habits and moral fiber. We've come a long way in our understanding of human motivation and of the blind operation of our economic system. Now we realize that dislocations in the market operation of our economy and the prevalence of discrimination thrust people into idleness and bind them in constant or frequent unemployment against their will. The poor are less often dismissed, I hope, from our conscience today by being branded as inferior and incompetent. We also know that no matter how dynamically the economy develops and expands, it does not eliminate all poverty.

The problem indicates that our emphasis must be twofold: We must create full employment, or we must create incomes. People must be made consumers by one method or the other. Once they are placed in this position, we need to be concerned that the potential of the individual is not wasted. New forms of work that enhance the social good will have to be devised for those for whom traditional jobs are not available. In 1879 Henry George anticipated this state of affairs when he wrote in Progress and Poverty:

The fact is that the work which improves the condition of mankind, the work which extends knowledge and increases power and enriches literature and elevates thought, is not done to secure a living. It is not the work of slaves driven to their tasks either by the, that of a taskmaster or by animal necessities. It is the work of men who somehow find a form of work that brings a security for its own sake and a state of society where want is abolished.

Work of this sort could be enormously increased, and we are likely to find that the problem of housing, education, instead of preceding the elimination of poverty, will themselves be affected if poverty is first abolished."

Where Do We Go From Here....

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"I’ve seen my dream shattered as I’ve walked the streets of Chicago (Make it plain) and seen Negroes, young men and women, with a sense of utter hopelessness because they can’t find any jobs. And they see life as a long and desolate corridor with no exit signs. And not only Negroes at this point. I’ve seen my dream shattered because I’ve been through Appalachia, and I’ve seen my white brothers along with Negroes living in poverty. (Yeah) And I’m concerned about white poverty as much as I’m concerned about Negro poverty. (Make it plain)

So yes, the dream has been shattered, (Amen) and I have had my nightmarish experiences, but I tell you this morning once more that I haven’t lost the faith. (No, sir) I still have a dream (A dream, Yes, sir) that one day all of God’s children will have food and clothing and material well-being for their bodies, culture and education for their minds, and freedom for their spirits. (Yes)"

The American Dream...

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You can read more on my MLK Jr. day post...

I was reading the article written by Alice Walker [found here on ubu13 's page]. I have had over the recent months many thoughts concerning Obama, and the fact that he has gotten so much traction lately has finally prompted me to comment.

Alice Walker, for those that don't know, is a well known feminista. She is a Pulitzer Prize winner for her book, The Color Purple, published in 1983. She lived in the south during a time that racism was heavily prevalent and has since made the issue the central theme of some of her other written works. She is a well known speaker on the subject and frequently comments on women's issues as well. More can be found on her at the Wikipedia article, found here.

The article in question was written in support of Barrak Obama.Her premise is that he is the man we need for "Change". Unfortunately, her article is written in a manner that strikes one to want this amorphous 'change'. What change we are to be for is somewhat left to the imagination...and more over, we are expected to fall into the glorious crowd of followers of those seeking 'change'. But by the end of the article, I am still waiting for what exactly this change entails. Oh yes, she lists what she would change. She even lists good reasons for those changes. But ironically, none of what she wants is something that Obama seems to have commented on in a way that shows his plans.

So the question becomes, why is she truly supporting Obama? She says it is Not because he is black. Not because he is young. Not because he is a racial supporter. Not because...insert whatever here. And yet, the only reasons I can see for her to be so effusive in praise is the fact that he is a young, up and coming, black politician. Heaven knows he doesn't really support the change she seeks.

Do I respect her struggles growing up? Absolutely. Do I willingly read her thoughts and consider them? Again, yes. Does her background and her accomplishments cause me to consider her thoughts any more deeply than I would Barbra Streisand's? Um. no.

So let me know when you have something truly thoughtful to say....and get your people to contact my people. We'll do lunch.

NBA superstar LeBron James is set to become the first African American to grace the cover of Vogue in April, sharing it with model Gisele Bundchen. However, the photo that will be used is stirring up controversy, as some are arguing that it perpetuates stereotypes, with James striking an angry pose that “some have likened to "King Kong" and Fay Wray,” according to the AP’s report.

The picture is above for you to judge – is it perpetuating a stereotype, or are we becoming overly sensitive to race issues?

An off-topic reply to this

I do like Obama, but I think the front runners of the Democratic party (and our current administration) haven't a clue about long term [fiscal] responsibility. McCain understands the way the bureaucratic cogs in Washington work and has a very good sense of short term vs. long term effects. In other words, what might be a great idea for 4 years (free health care, woohoo!) might be a very poor one in 40 years when it's time to pay for it or else. He thinks like a Republican, even if parts of his party don't like him.