When I think of Dr. King. 
I think of GREATNESS. I think of a man with great influential power. I think of a man who had a vision for his people and died attempting to make that vision into reality. Most of all, I think of his courage and determination, which I greatly admire.
Black Folks.
We can be VERY DIFFICULT! I know in my experience with working with many people of diverse backgrounds, it's another experience when only dealing with my brothers and sisters. Our people as a whole aren't visionary. We can't forecast empowerment. For a man to lead a movement nationwide is inspiring.
Recently, while pursuing the Endeavor, I began to think about King's spirit. That influence. That courage. That determination. I started to attached them into the what I do. And you know what, part King's spirit is embedded in mine. That brother Kept on Pushin.. and right now, that's what I'm trying to do.
I attended eight events over the past four days to commemorate Dr. King and his Dream. While still in the process of the Endeavor, three of these events was organized by yours truly. The audience at each event spoke of King's Dream and solution we need to do to empower ourselves. Unfortunately, I received an overwhelming amount of lip service. Our community leaders have an amazing ability to make us say "preach on" and "Amen." To many of us are talking the talk and not walking the walk. What bothers me most is the fact that there are people walking the walk for us and we continue to hate on them and not give them the support to make a bigger impact. Imagine if Dr. King had the influence of the many ministers that preached against him.
Dr. King was human. He was touchable. Dr. King was not the movement, but a leader in the civil right movement. He had an support network that moved forward. Folks like Ralph Abernathy, Bayard Rustin and Jesse Jackson. I hope that one day I can build the same network to bring forth positive change for our people.
When I think of King... I think of myself!
I think of GREATNESS. I think of a man with great influential power. I think of a man who had a vision for his people and died attempting to make that vision into reality. Most of all, I think of his courage and determination, which I greatly admire.
Black Folks.
We can be VERY DIFFICULT! I know in my experience with working with many people of diverse backgrounds, it's another experience when only dealing with my brothers and sisters. Our people as a whole aren't visionary. We can't forecast empowerment. For a man to lead a movement nationwide is inspiring.
Recently, while pursuing the Endeavor, I began to think about King's spirit. That influence. That courage. That determination. I started to attached them into the what I do. And you know what, part King's spirit is embedded in mine. That brother Kept on Pushin.. and right now, that's what I'm trying to do.
I attended eight events over the past four days to commemorate Dr. King and his Dream. While still in the process of the Endeavor, three of these events was organized by yours truly. The audience at each event spoke of King's Dream and solution we need to do to empower ourselves. Unfortunately, I received an overwhelming amount of lip service. Our community leaders have an amazing ability to make us say "preach on" and "Amen." To many of us are talking the talk and not walking the walk. What bothers me most is the fact that there are people walking the walk for us and we continue to hate on them and not give them the support to make a bigger impact. Imagine if Dr. King had the influence of the many ministers that preached against him.
Dr. King was human. He was touchable. Dr. King was not the movement, but a leader in the civil right movement. He had an support network that moved forward. Folks like Ralph Abernathy, Bayard Rustin and Jesse Jackson. I hope that one day I can build the same network to bring forth positive change for our people.
When I think of King... I think of myself!
Posted by Unconquerable Soul at 8:43 PM::
6 Comments:
The problem I find with so many of our own brothers and sisters is that they are very satisfied to fill pre-determined roles that are status quo. When I asked my cousin, for example,why she wasn't going to vote in the 2000 and then 2004 elections, she said "My vote doesn't even count anyway." I can count of one thousand hands the amount of brothers and sisters that say that every four years. Somehow that sentiment, and many others, are transposed, injected, infused into the minds of all of us. We assume ourselves too strange, too wierd, too not hip if we care too much. So we choose not to care. It requires too much individuality. Too much responsibility. Too much too much.
So the mantra is: "Please tell me what to say! Please tell me what to do! Please tell me how to act! When to stand up! Tell me when to applaud! Do I go in the front of the line or the back of it? Do we sit down now? Do we use this fork to eat our salad!" And who do we ask these questions to? Largely, to the media. And who is the media written by?
.....
Okay, the point of my statement: There are a few of us who will step up and be counted. These will be the people who never have to ask where to sit, or what fork to use, or what can I do now. We all know what to do; we all have a little guide inside that gives us clues as to the direction we can take. Some of us are destined to be like Dr. King. Some have other roles. Dr. King was no greater than any of us, and his feet fit in the same size shoes as the rest of us. The difference is that he didn't question his place at the front of the line. He used whatever fork he wanted to to eat his salad. He sat down when his feet got tired.
So go on, brother Unconquerable Soul. Fill the shoes you feel yourself compelled to fill. And make a new mold of shoe. Our mistake will be to assume that today is no more than honoring the legacy of a freedom fighter. Dr. King is not more important than those people he has inspired to take up the baton and run with it. And the day honoring him is no less than a call for all of us to fulfill our personal legacies.
Me.
That closing statement made me proud! Yes! Anything King did you can do too.We can't rest on those who came before us. It's not fair to us or them.
Please keep the dream alive.
I love your post...especially then last line...when I think of King, I think of myself...that is profound.
Wow - powerful post!
This was a great post. So many of us are not doing anything to keep his dream alive even though we have all benefitted from it. I just talked to my nephew today and told him you can do anything you want to do.. No one can take your education and please stay in school. It is so important to remind kids about what the past looked like so that they will have information. This generation doesn't seem to understand suffering...
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