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http://youtube.com/watch?v=ABdDSxI6eSY
Bravo Barack!
Good post! You make me cry!
Bravo Barack!
truthseeker,
I thought I was the ONLY one who saw it that way. I believe this in a tinfoil hat kind of way...If I'm Obama, the last place I want to be is where King was assassinated. I've been to the Lorraine Motel Museum, and it was eery.
It's a topic right in the back of Black folks' minds. We don't perculate it up to the topic of conversation very often, but look at that incident this past week in Philly...I'm looking at that going..
WHERE THE HELL IS THE SECRET SERVICE?
WHERE THE HELL IS THE SECRET SERVICE?"
Are you talking about the annoying Ebay photographer??
All I keep hoping is, if Obama recognized him as such, the Secret Service had seen him around before and deemed him to not be a threat.
I hope.
In 1968, I was in first or second grade. I remember when my father came home from work, turned on the news to be greeted with the announcement of Dr. King's assassination.
I remember my father, who never cursed in front of his baby girl, turn the air blue with his words, so much so to the point, my mother ran into the room and said, "Burdett, calm down, you'll scare baby girl sitting there."
I was a Daddy's girl and I would always sit on his lap while he watched TV after a hard day's work as a crane operator. But I saw something else in his eyes, for the first time.
Anger and the death of hope. While he didn't consider Dr. King the savior (you should have heard him rail at his preacher cousins who would turned King away from their pulpits), he knew that brotha was on to something and he wanted to make sure my brothers and I got Dr. King's message and his dream.
James Earl Ray? Here's my father, "Ain't no lone cracker shot him - the FBI got him."
Forty years later, I remember that. And as my baby voice told my father, "Don't worry, Daddy, it can still be done."
"You bet, baby girl. He didn't die for nothing."
I guess that's a big reason why I work in Civil Rights/EEO to this day. Because of that April evening when we learned of Dr. King's death and my father's reaction, and a child's attempt to reassure Daddy everything would be alright.
Thank you Dr. King - we're still trying to make your dream a reality.
I have no memories of the heightened emotions of the time; however, I feel such sorrow when I think of the times, the struggles and his death.
I feel cheated.
God-- I love this man
Certainly a marker in time like this can't be passed up without comment, and we can't naively forget the cost of standing for what is right (TCPL, thanks for the story; it's gut-wrenching for me to read, so I know it's got to be a powerful scene for you to remember). But we shouldn't linger too long at the Lorraine Motel - there's too much to be done, too much that Dr. King would've done, too much that he and the countless others who gave their lives struggling for America would rather us be doing.
It's helpful to have a forum like this where I can try to fathom the absolute injustice of that moment in Memphis, if only to better understand the absolute obligation I have to do my part to make sure that, eventually, justice *does* roll like waters.
To be blunt, Obama denied them the ready-made narrative that they had already prepared for when Obama came to Memphis.
They were going to go up to every Black person they saw and say:
' You see that Barack Obama is here in Memphis. Do you worry that he's going to be assassinated like Dr. King?'
They were going to get THE picture of him with Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al.
Run it in a continuous loop.
'See see, he's the BLACK Candidate'.
By not showing up, Obama denied them that...and they're pissed.
Here you go:
I want to say that I'm deeply disappointed that my dear brother Barack Obama decided not to go pay tribute and lay his wreath for the great Martin Luther King, Jr. That brother Martin's profound love and deep sacrifice for black people, America and humanity is in no way reducible to political calculations, even for the campaign for presidency. That Martin Luther King Jr.'s deep commitment to unarmed truth and unconditional love can in no way be subject to strategies for access to political power. Hence, I have a very deep disagreement with my dear brother, Barack Obama -- in this case, commitment to truth is in tension with the quest for power.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cornel-west/on-ob... Tavis Smiley
Then I remember Bobby Kennedy being shot after winning the California primary. I saw it on television. It was horrible. I was very, very afraid. I began to believe anyone who opposed the powers that be had a big target on their backs (or, more accurately, on their heads). I had seen John Kennedy assasinated, then King, then Bobby. I hated America. I wanted a revolution.
I grew an Afro and joined the Black Panther Party. I gave money to free Angela. I wore a leather fringed vest and a big button with a black fist on it. My parents were worried that I would become a communist and that my politics would bar me from any good job.
I questioned the Black middle class' reluctance to embrace King, their embarrassment that he was "too Black" (they were still colored then). I questioned why my parents never marched (they were too busy working their asses off). I questioned everything.
I grew up. I'm an attorney. I vote. I see myself as living the dream Dr. King gave his life for. I thank him every day for triggering my political awareness and maturity. I've evolved--no longer a Panther, but definitely a revolutionary. But I've chosen a way to fight that people don't even see coming. I am changing things. And every day I thank Dr. King.
OBAMA PROVES WHITES NOT AS PREJUDICED AS WE THOUGHT !
" There's no way America would vote for a black president !.....America's not ready for a black president." That has historically been the sentiment and attitude shared by the majority of blacks in America due in part to the fact that we have always been under the assumption that most whites are so prejudiced that a black president in America would just never happen. But one of the most incredible things that has arisen through Barack Obamas campaign has been the vision of mass numbers of white people at each of the Obama rallys showing great love and support for this credible, intelligent, gifted, strong leader....who happens to also be black. It has been incredibly eye-opening and uplifting, and it, for the first time, shows us blacks that we have actually been wrong in our assumption that most whites are prejudiced toward us. Guess what ? Although you do have the exceptions to the rule, the fact is....most whites ARE NOT racist toward blacks. This is a very important revelation. VERY !!!
We, as blacks have held on to our injured history, which we rightfully feel was caused by whites, to such a degree that we have never had the opportunity to see or learn that the prejudiced attitudes of whites does not exist today like it had in the past. We just didn't know. We knew that a lot of whites like black music. We knew that millions of white women love Oprah, but we thought that was just a 'woman thing'. But in all honesty, we had no idea, until now, that white people of all ages....even older ones...could be as supportive of a black candidate as they have shown in great mass. We, as blacks have been wrong !
And now, to my black brothers and sisters....It's time for us to acknowledge this extremely important revelation...In other words....all whites are not prejudiced !!! In fact, MOST whites aren't ! I know, it's hard to believe because of our lifetime of thinking differently....but these are the facts. Just look in the eyes of the whites at Obama's rallys. You see a true warmth, compassion and true support for this man....who is black. What this means is that most whites have risen above the racism of old. Now, it is time for us, as blacks, to rise up as well. Of course, we as blacks will have the specific cases of injustice and prejudice as displayed through examples like Jena 6, Genarlow Wilson, Katrina and the like....and specific cases like those should be dealt with accordingly. In regards to economic, educational and criminal injustices and institutional racism....we still have a long way to go. But we must not continue to allow certain negative occurances to misdirect our minds toward thinking that these negative examples speak for the entire white race. The majority of whites of today are actually on our side !
Obama's campaign has already won by proving that whites and blacks can not only get along....but can work TOGETHER....toward a better tomorrow...for us all. And guess what my black family....America IS ready !!!
Greg Jones
Visit:www.Blacks4Barack.org
The only way Obama will be MLK's dream is if he acts on it.
Blacks4Barack,our? their on Obama's side.
I never knew that black folks were so gulliable.