About MLK

[DonCoquixote]

The internet is full of things said about MLK, both good, and some not so good. Some conservatives co-opt him, forgetting that we remember how much they hated him.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/co-opting-king

Some on the more radical side slam him, saying that he was too nice, or that non violence was wrong

http://socialistworker.org/2012/12/14/legacy-of-martin-luther-king

None of these two dare condemn him outright, because that is the legacy of those whom history has vindicated. Both the folks who wore White Sheets and the folks who wore Malcolm X style bowties know that if they dare talk about MLK the way they way he did when he was alive, they will be exposed as the bigots and cowards they are.

But this day is NOT about them.

It is about the fact that, in a rare moment, someone was able to convince a lot of people to try NOT to do what comes naturally, which is to have a civil war, fight, and then leave nothing behind but a mess.

Yes, we do need a Malcolm X to tell people that he will play bad cop if they cannot listen to MLK's good cop.

Yes, we do need to remember that MLK was about fighting for all people, and not just the wealthy white so-called "liberals" who hoped to protect what privilege they had by giving black people the right to sit at a lunch counter, but did not want to address the fact that many of us, black, white, all colors beyond and between, could not AFFORD that lunch, or even get a job at that lunch counter.

But despite all of that, MLK represents the fact that we, as a nation, can sometimes listen to the right message, and pull back from the brink. That may seem small, but the news is of full of nations that might NEVER be able to do that.

For that matter, will we continue the work MLK did, of making all of us see a common humanity, common rights? Or will it be because we have all beat each other up so much even the vultures will find slim pickings.

MLK made the choice clear, the question is, is our vision clear enough to see that?

[hfojvt]

1. Today is his day

but sometimes people seem to focus too much on HIM. Like he did everything alone. Like there were no other members and leaders in CORE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_Racial_Equality, SNCC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_Nonviolent_Coordinating_Committee the NAACP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP

As wiki says about CORE "Founded in 1942, CORE was one of the "Big Four" civil rights organizations, along with the SCLC, the SNCC, and the NAACP."

MLK was one of the founders of the SCLC and its first President http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Christian_Leadership_Conference

but certainly there were other people leading AND taking part in it.

"On January 10, 1957, following the Montgomery Bus Boycott victory and consultations with Bayard Rustin, Ella Baker, and others, Dr. King invited about 60 black ministers and leaders to Ebenezer Church in Atlanta. Prior to this, however, Bayard Rustin (in New York City), having conceived the idea of initiating such effort, first sought Rev. C. K. Steele to make the call and take the lead role. C. K. Steele declined, but told him he would be glad to work right beside him if he sought Dr. King in Montgomery, for the role."

There were many people spreading the message and echoing the message.