The Importance of August 28th

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. On what should have been the opening dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial on August 28, 2011, today's entry will be about the significance of the day August 28th itself in American and thus worldwide history. On that particular calendar day, three key events would shape the American Civil Rights Movement, a struggle where the youth and visionaries of that generation would change the navigational course of traditional "decency", equality and freedom. In chasing that tide of directive change, the courage of that generation- and those before them who had to suffer worse indignities- is very profound, as I surely cannot accurately fathom the level of disrespect and inhumanity they faced on a normal basis. With this in mind it could be argued that August 28th be viewed as a Civil Rights Memorial Day of sorts, as events on that day through the years would galvanize then stregnthen participation in both the movement and its following legacy.

August 28, 1955- the Murder of Emmett Till


A little over three months before Rosa Parks' defiant standing up through sitting in the whites only section of the bus in December 1955, fourteen year old Chicago native Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi for the "crime" of whistling at a white woman. Taken late at night from the home of the relatives with whom he was staying, Till- in the last moments of life and first moments after death- would endure ghastly mutilation to his body by egotistical murderers who not only took his life but sought to take his humanity and manhood through such disfigurement. The latter goal would not be achieved, as Till's mother displayed his body and story in an effort to show how badly America needed to change in its race relations. Though it would be a few months before more Americans would begin to heed and spread this message- as Till's murderers would later confess to their crime as unrepentant free men- Emmett Till would become a cataclysmic symbol for such truth, justice, and sadly enough, growth.

August 28, 1963- Martin Luther King, Jr., Shares his Dream


Eight years into the Civil Rights Movement, the March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Using the march's platform for civic and economic growth as well as for its push towards legislation for voting rights, one of its prime leaders would vividly announce the intended goals and aspirations the movement itself aimed to achieve for present and future societies. In his riveting "I Have A Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr., uses allegorical references from literature, religion and politics to speak of a possible society that overcomes bitter prejudices to engage with diverse cultures in achieving equal harmony. What strikes me most about the speech is King's near clairvoyant delivery; in switching from the written text to literally freestyling, he confidently uses his preaching gifts to have the crowd further envision his idealistic agenda as he speaks it. As with its brilliant orator, the "I Have A Dream" speech has its invaluable place in history -in its case as a spoken blueprint for modern tolerance and togetherness.

August 28, 2008- Barack Obama Accepts the Democratic Nomination for U.S. President


Fifty-three years to the day after Emmett Till's murder, forty-five years to the day of Martin Luther King, Jr., delivering his "I Have A Dream" speech, U.S. Senator Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. Obama, a humble yet charismatic politician from Illinois, had began to captivate Americans and their potential votes through speaking about a committal to progressive change towards a better quality of life. He would also captivate through his keen sense of history, as other memorable dates and scenes in this country coincided within his journey to the White House. This certain August 28th event marks an event of change in America itself, as it shows a culmination- not the total culmination as there is more work to do, but a culmination- of evidence of efforts towards relativity through diversity.

The heroic life, work, and legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would cause fellow Americans to memorialize him in the nation's capital. Although the dedication of his memorial did not happen on the forty-eighth anniversary of one of his greatest moments as was originally planned, keep in mind that the three previously described events on August 28th would help to transform ideas, thoughts, and possibilities for future generations. As I stated above, the Civil Rights Movement caused great changes that greatly accelerated our cultural and even spiritual growth, and today it reminds us to always work towards the best ideals for ourselves, our people and our societies.

Well, I think that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until next time, peace out.

Martin Luther King, Jr and the Young, Non-Southern Black Man

Hello again world and welcome back to my blog. In keeping with February's great tradition of Black History Month, today's entry will be about a man who I think is the only prophet America has ever produced, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The video I posted above I found about a month ago via YouTube around the King holiday while I was searching for interviews and speeches he did, as well as documentary clips. Though the specific date of this speech is unknown, I'm assuming that he made that speech somewhere between the last two years of his life (1966-1968). When I first saw this video, I played it like it was the new single for at least two hours straight. It actually surprised me, chiefly because it was the first time I had ever heard Dr. King refer to himself and his people as "Black" as opposed to the term known to his generation, "Negro". But what I also noticed about his speech in this video is that it is a bit more outwardly radical then I had known him to be, keeping in mind that King IS a radical (you cannot accomplish goals like desegregation, voting rights, and true working pacifism unless you are radical). What makes it so "outwardly radical" is that I believe this statement must have come from his observations and the influence that the younger, "Black" generation of civil rights leaders would have on him.

Continuing my search for King information, I watched on YouTube the PBS special "Citizen King". This special focused on the last five years of his life, starting from his delivering the iconic "I Have A Dream" speech at the March on Washington and ending at his assassination and massively attended funeral. The years that primarily interested me were from 1965 to 1967- a period where he observed and experienced the life of the young, non-Southern Negro. This is the period that I believe brought King to the speech on that video. It begins with his stay in Chicago in 1966, inspired by his realization that he needed to understand the non-Southern Negro's (and underclass minorities overall) struggle with race and class disparities. This leads to his march to desegregate the Chicago suburb of Cicero where, in watching the footage of it, is easily most frightened and courageous I had seen him. The march turns into a caustic and dangerous event courtesy of its opposition, who may have been partly inspired by the counter demonstrations led by American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell. Though some marchers began to lose their cool, King maintained his, even while being hit with bricks and stones, ducking from the sounds of firecrackers meant to depict gunshots. The experience of the Cicero march indeed shook him- he would go on to unfavorably compare the experience to those he had in Mississippi and Alabama- but it also gave him a semblance to the specific level of frustration and opposition non-Southern black America faced.



I believe that the experience of Chicago began King towards that speech I found on YouTube, and the inspiration towards that speech was continued by his experience with Stokely Carmichael while continuing James Meredith's "March Against Fear" in Mississippi in 1966. Carmichael, the newly appointed chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was the definition of the young black radical; he was a Pan-Africanist who didn't fully believe in nonviolence, sharing the view of the pre-hajj, Nation of Islam era Malcolm X in that whites couldn't really help in the fight for black and minority civil rights. During their time together leading the "March Against Fear", King and Carmichael understood that they served as diverging symbols of black leadership; King is of the generation where Negroes use nonviolent decorum to achieve their collective goal, and Carmichael represents the younger generation's ideal of "Black Power" to inspire a racially unitarian mindset. King is in fact cautious of Carmichael's "Black Power" philosophy, believing it to be a type of segregation that will lead to loneliness and destruction. However, this relationship does prove to be one of collaboration and respect, as through Carmichael King sees the non-Southern Black man in his total individual form. As "Citizen King" reports, it is also through Carmichael that King begins to interchangeably use the terms "Negro" and "Black", a fact that Carmichael would boast about to others for the rest of his life.

It is my assumption that stemming from his experiences in Chicago and with Carmichael, King now had a source of relation with the rise of the new, non-Southern black man. This newfound perspective taught him to be aware of the changes of "Black" America, as well as give him more cause to look at America as a whole nation. I think that by the time he made the speech I found on YouTube, he found a way to keep his nonviolent tactics and sensibilities yet embrace at least part of the newer generation's mantra; still not accepting the connotation of "Black Power", but ready to acknowledge that "Black is Beautiful". It is a bit ironic that King's assassination in 1968 would trigger his prophetic fears of "Black Power" to come true, as Black America would riot in major American cities in retaliation. Nevertheless, ALL of America- black, white, other colors and creeds, and even the world in general- have grown to greatly appreciate King's legacy of work in making this great land a more equal and tolerant playing field.

King's speech that I found on YouTube initially surprised me, but I also found it refreshing. Why? Because it is proven document of his forward thinking being specifically directed at his love for his people, an indication of entrusting them to make significant leaps and bounds in America's great landscape. This video makes me realize that the terminology of a people is far from just labeling, as what they call themselves dictates their future prosperity; I think that without a speech like that, a "Negro" calling himself "Black", we would have never elevated to making those superior leaps and bounds as "African Americans". King's realization couldn't have come from anywhere else but his experiences with the newer generation, as they taught him to understand them, their country, and time overall more accurately.

Well, that's about it for now folks. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and let me know what you think about this and other entries. Until then, peace out.