Remembering the Legacy of Dr Martin Luther Jr
The Day Dr King Became More Than Just a Story to Me
I happened to be born just nineteen days after the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. and ironically he died on my sister's birthday, so the early years of my life were marked with both celebration and memorials on every April the 4th.
Having grown up in a small predominately black community, there were not too many places you could go without hearing Dr King's name. There was a Street named after him, His face was on murals and as far back as I can think there was always school projects, history reports or public events in his honor. In spite of all of the memorials, programs, events and lessons in school; all of the information about Dr King was head knowledge to me. It was received with no more significance than any of the other patriarchs, matriarchs and civil rights heroes. They were just pages in a book.
I knew they had all supposedly done good things for people like me, for people who had dark skin. However I think it probably didn't hold much meaning because at the time and the place I lived, everyone looked like me. I had not yet come in contact nor had I personally seen or experienced discrimination of any kind. I could actually count the number of white people I knew on one hand and I just that there was something weird going on with their skin.
The white people I knew were all adults, the pastor, a nun and teacher at the Catholic School I attended, and a mechanic who used to help my dad work on his cars, and all four of them were some of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. So when the talk of Dr King and His legacy would take place I would take it all in, but it didn't hold deep meaning to me, not until I turned 9 years old.
We had been rehearsing for a big presentation. The principal kept reminding us of the importance of looking and behaving our best, as we were having a special guest honoree. Our teachers worked with us on remembering our lines. Like a lot of nine year olds my attention span was very short at the time, they kept mentioning the honoree's name and how important an event this was.
It wasn't until the day of the event that I began to get a clue as to how important. I had never seen so many people in one place at the same time, and for the first time I began to get a bit nervous. When the time came for us to make our presentation something happened, as I began to realize who our Special Guest was, it was none other than Mrs. Coretta Scott King.
The closer and closer we approached that stage the reality of who she was began to hit me. I suddenly became aware that those weren't just stories and pictures in school books that they were showing us. I don't know if the same thing was happening to my classmates, but I do know that we all began to cry at the same time. I stood there, tears streaming and eyes burning and from that moment the world began to look like a different place to me.
I began to realize that Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was a real person, not just an urban legend. I could see now that all the things we had been learning about Dr King were true. I began to be overwhelmed with the pressing reality that not only was he and the stories about him, real, but that meant that the person who killed him was real, and for the first time in my life I had to face the truth that there really were bad people. Not just bad but evil people who had no problem with killing someone like Dr King; who had no problem killing someone like me, all because I happened to be born with the wrong skin color.
The following year I began to go to school outside of my community, and I began to see firsthand the racism and injustice that had been hidden from me those early years of my life, and although I was often saddened and angered by it, I found hope as I began to realize that heroes like Dr Martin Luther King Jr., and the other heroes in the pages of my history books were there cheering me on and waving the flag of hope, soothing my hurts with the promise of a better tomorrow.
So on this, 40th Anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s passing, I am wondering how many young people are like I was. How many of them have head knowledge of Dr King and have seen the pictures and text in their school books, but have not actually thought about the fact that it was Dr King's and other civil rights heroes sacrifice that paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. I can't help but think that they don't and that if they did they wouldn't be so frivolous and carefree with them today.
We are closer to that Dream
Published by mmog37
Husband, father of four, business owner, urban homeschooler, writer, artist and motivational speaker. Always busy and always moving. Still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. View profile
- Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site
- Martin Luther King Jr. And How He Spoke
- R&B Singer R. Kelly Compares Himself to Martin Luther King Jr.
- Little-Known Facts About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
- Martin Luther King Jr. Biography
- A Day to Celebrate Civil Rights
- Barack Obama, His Candidacy, and His Martin Luther King Day Speech
- We are Closer to Dr King's Dream, but we have a way to go.
- It's almost hard to believe that it has been 40 years since his death.
- We are dealing with some of the same issues addressed in the I Have a Dream Speech
13 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for the love people.
Shamontiel, i think that a lot of people are really fearful when it comes to celebrating Black History, people still tend to think in terms that mean the celebration of one is equal to the exclusion of others. I heard something interesting from a young african american girl in high school, she said we have become so politically correct that we don't mention race and we pretend it is not an issue and as a result it still exists. My prayer is that people learn how to sit down with some kleenex and a box of bandaids (cuz da truth hurts!) and instead of being offeneded really be open to see life from the view of the other side...and that someone will pick up the mantle of the old pioneers Like Dr King
...for saying something so dumb. Instead, I informed him that the reason so many couldn't read or write was because they were beaten for learning. He goes, "But that still doesn't excuse that they weren't writers then." Is it me or have you heard of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Gwendolyn Brooks, and all the rest? The Board of Education is doing a disservice by not teaching students. Look at King's special on CNN!
I had the same indifference to Black History, but sadly, mine was all the way up until I got to college. I knew it was important, but I wasn't breaking my back to learn it. However, when I got to Northern Michigan University and debated a professor about putting the Harlem Renaissance in her line-up for the literary canon, and she told me she'd "throw it in at the end," that blew my mind. I debated the whole English faculty to the point that they threatened to expel me, but I'd already transferred to an HBCU. The thing that stuck out most to me was the teacher who refused to talk about Black History wanted us to read Mark Twain's book aloud--nigger and all. I volunteered to read every single time because I couldn't handle anyone else doing it, and after she'd been reported, we had a discussion about the canon. One student said "I don't think Black people should be incorporated into the literary canon because they couldn't read anyway." I wanted to punch him in the middle of his forehea
It's sad to say there isn't a lot dedicated to this wonderful man. I don't remember learning much about him in school, until I got to college when there were poetry readings and plays done in his honor. Those were the amazing ways to learn and understand thank you for the article. God Bless.
times) when racism and other forms of hatred rear their ugly head. A well done and thought provoking piece!
Moving story and beautiful drawing! You are very talented. I must admit that if it weren't for my parents, who were very passionate about teaching me as much as they could about the history of racism in America and the significance of the Civil Rights Movement when I was a child, I would have been left in the dark like so many of today's youth. I wouldn't have understood why my white friend told me in elementary school that she couldn't invite me over to her house because her father didn't like black people. I could sympathize with my friend because I knew that her father's ignorance hurt her much more than it could ever hurt me. My parents' goal was not to teach or encourage hatred, but for me to have a real understanding of the world that I would grow up in. They did not want me to be blindsided by the realities of life. I'm glad that I am one who sees the value of diversity and can embrace it. But I realize that not everyone feels as I do and I am never shocked (only disheartened at
thanks for the kind words and the subscriptions,
Momie Tullotes: I am both honored and appreciative!
Mike, the truth is I hadn't been called that name yet, not until after that event, I really appreciate the timing of the whole thing because I didn't see the "nastiness" until I began attending school outside of my community the following year, and that moment kind of prepared/strengthened me.
Very moving piece. I will link to it at http://featurefreelancers.blogspot.com on my MLK tribute post. I will subscribe to you as well. Mike, thanks for mentioning me. :-)
I was reading along and figured your experience when you turned age 9 would be that somebody called you a name, so many stories are like that, and so I'm glad that turned out like it did, although of course that doesn't mean you were never called a name. If I were a teacher, I would look for similar presentations because that might be the best way to make the young ones more aware. Girls should also have somebody to look up to, so from that era, Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer, just to name two, should also be studied. Thank you yuong man, I will now subscribe. Readers of this piece may also be commended to pieces by momie t ullottes, jcorn and yes, me. -- Mike
jcorn, Thanks for the visit and the comments...they both mean a lot :)
yes I did the drawing, I moonlight as an underpaid artist working for my children's company (LOL)