It’s Martin Luther King Jr. day in Memphis and I can’t think of anything funny to say.
And it’s not for a lack of trying.
For the first time in the seven years I’ve lived here, I have this day off. Free to think about what it all really means.
And I’m not sure I like that.
I am finding it difficult to fathom that 39 years ago in this city a man was killed for believing that people could be treated with equality.
I suppose it wasn’t the believing, but the acting on those beliefs that singled him out as a target. I imagine that many people believed what King did, but fewer said anything about it, and fewer still took action.
What action are we taking today?1
I wouldn’t presume to talk about the legacy of the civil rights movement. I’m too young, too white, and too reluctant to deal with Jesse Jackson.2
But it’s hard to avoid the legacy of Memphis.
I live in a profoundly polarized city, where realtors make a good living from the constant circulation of Americans of both African and European flavors, chasing each other from suburb to suburb.
Back when I first moved here, I thought I would be part of the solution. Most days I’m happy if I can avoid being part of the problem.
I do, however, believe there is a solution, and it lies not with parties, and bumper stickers, and the smug superiority of partisan politics, but along a path of small choices, courageously made every day.
The choice to give the benefit of the doubt to another, the choice to speak with respect, the choice to look someone in the eye.
Real change doesn’t come from a soapbox, it comes from the heart.
- Notice how much more comfortable it is to hid in a large comforting “we” than to put forward the lonely “I”. «
- Nothing against him personally, because I don’t know him personally. But it wasn’t (in my humble opinion) politics and press conferences that got our society as far as it has come in the field of social justice, but rather the courage of individuals. There are a long list of adjectives I would use to describe the actions of Rev. Jackson as far as I have seen them, and courageous doesn’t make the top twenty. «
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Well said my friend. After living in so many places that were not the south for so long, I was beginning to think we had actually made some real progress.(i.e. seeing the color blindness of my daughter and her friends) Now that I am back in the south, the reality of separation and injustice (while, better than it was) is still present and divisive. Even in the churches, it is obvious we still have a long way to go. Again, I say, I find hope in my children. While try to shake the burden left by my parents, I hope to teach my kids (and their’s), that love, hope and justice knows no color.
There are sometimes when the humor isn’t ready to flow. I like serious ominouscomma also. Very well said.
I am reminded of that saying,”World Change happens one kind moment at a time.” Smiles and good deeds are contagious.
Well said, indeed.
I haven’t spent any time in the South, and right now I’m geographically about as far away as you can get from the South and still be on the same continent, but I have heard that many things haven’t changed that much there in fifty- or sixty-odd years. Like you said, though: one small thing at a time, by one person at a time, is what it takes.
Great post, sir.
Our kids run track. We go to meets in Los Angeles and Compton where we are one of the 4 white families in attendance. We get stared at the whole time,as if we had four arms and two heads (we have 7 kids…so we do look a little odd.) But it is an uncomfortable feeling that reminds me of the terrible way that many were made to feel not too long ago. I cannot even imagine having to suffer the terrible things that so many did. We try to do our part to change the world by teaching our kids to be blind to skin color. It is a small part, I know, but every little bit makes a difference. Happy MLK day!
Very well said. I like your serious side too. You have a lot of good things to say and your heart is in the right place. Change as we all know takes time and diligence. Thanks for reminding us.
What impresses me the most about MLK was his ability to see beyond himself. The few books I’ve read on MLK are just mind-boggling (his vision & courage). I find it difficult to comprehend the full complexity of the man and his message. We all know him as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement but he was also very outspoken on issues of poverty and militarism.
“I do, however, believe there is a solution, and it lies not with parties, and bumper stickers, and the smug superiority of partisan politics, but along a path of small choices, courageously made every day.”
It is very easy to become so involved in political & social activism that you become impatient & frustrated thus creating more problems than solutions. You are so right Brent, solutions can’t be forced; the only way to inspire the kind of change needed (esp. right here in Memphis) in day to day race relations is just that…to tackle it day by day with sincerity.
I find your thoughts on the subject very touching.
I found this little excerpt from The Rockridge Institute and I found it quite relevant:
“To some the real work of politics is the unsung, back room work of tough minded insiders that produce laws that change lives. In such a view, soaring oratory is, at best, a means of drawing a crowd to apply pressure on legislators to vote this way or that. Such a view may fundamentally miss what Dr. King sought to achieve. In his mission to ensure the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, Dr. King took a decidedly long view, focusing not on mere lobbying for the legislation of the day, but on defining the moral imperatives of the nation to compel action for generations to come. Progress tends to be fragile and often proves illusory when it is the product of political insiders who fail to engage the broader citizenry. Dr. King, by contrast, led by revealing the hidden truths, narratives, and moral premises that compel action.”
I very much enjoyed this post. Martin Luther King’s death was such a tragedy. The good outcome is that he hasn’t disappeared over time. His story is discussed all the time and through the years so that we don’t forget and make the same mistake again in another time or era.
Thanks for such a great post, Brent. I greatly enjoyed it.
Very nicely done. I like the seriouscomma!
Jeff
Cripes Man… I wasn’t expecting that!
But you know what…I kinda like it….
Thanks for displaying such gratitude. I think your solution reflects our leader, Dr. King. He words continue to lead any and all of us who decide to be a part of the solution.
Bravo! Well written. Yes, it will be those younger than my 46 years that actually fix the ills of society. Your view is fresh, intuitive and a breath of fresh air. I’m subscribing to your feed. Keep up the good work.
Jesse Jackson certainly is a poor substitute.
Each time a man stands out for something that threatens to change the status quo of things will be seen as a menace to society (I’m not talking about thieves, rapers, or corrupt politians). No, things haven’t changed in escence, racism and hate just mutated, but afroamericans keep being discriminated.
It’s encouraging to see someone with a more sizable readership than myself not only address this but get it so right! That is the correct term for agreeing with me, no? It really is the “small choices, courageously made every day.”
|_|) “The time is always right to do what is right.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
I really appreciate what you had to say. You definitely have a gift for expressing yourself, whether serious or funny.
RIP Martin!
PS : Im from memphis, went to Hamilton, this si what i wrote about him lst month thank we free
Thank you, RJ. I appreciate your support and respect your judgement.
I agree, life is seldom as glamorous as it is in the the movies, where a person’s life climaxes in one defining moment, complete with attractive co-stars and rousing theme music.
A real hero’s life is usually comprised of a series of small sacrifices and service, and frequently overlooked by all but hose closest to them.
Thank you for your comment, Wendy.
Perhaps this is a new wrinkle on the American Dream, that our children would be better people than ourselves?
Not to give up on our own progress, but to take inspiration from them as we struggle along.
Well spoken yourself, my friend.
Thanks Wolf.
I think you have it when you talk about seeing beyond yourself.
I think that’s the real trick.
The problem is that it’s a very difficult trick, and I believe that is the reason we so often see so little progress.
Our selves take up so much mental real estate that it is difficult to see past out own borders.
Thank you Debbie, you are insightful as always.
I agree with the author, I don’t believe that laws change lives. I see them more as supports that lock in what a people have decided to do, for good or for bad.
I can’t imagine King scanning opinion polls and approval ratings. He didn’t ask people what they were looking for in an official, he led them to what he knew to be right.
He was a stirring orator, but his words would have been just so much decoration if he lacked the courage to physically face the hatred and violence brought by his enemies.
I don’t see much of that sort of courage by anyone in the spotlight these days.
Thank you, sir.
I must admit that your twin blogs of serious and silly did help to inspire me.
Everyone within the sound of my keyclicks should take a moment or ten to explore Jeffery’s sites: The Thinker and The Stinker
His death was a great loss and a shame upon our nation, but to have your dream outlive you is an achievement longed for by tyrants and conquerers alike.
Usually to no avail.
I dislike cliches, but every once in a while one is appropriate. Like this one:
“Everyone dies, but not everyone lives.”
I’ve had similar experiences, ones that awaken my awareness of the gulfs that still exist between us.
But I have found that often we have to leave our comfort zone in order to appreciate the experience of others.
And my kids give me hope.
Exactly Brent! The author goes on to say there was a reason Dr. King said “I have a dream,” not “I have a complaint,” or “I have a 10 point plan.”
Wow, thanks for the kind words (and the plug)!
Jeff
Thank you Lynn, your input is always of value.
Don’t let yourself off the hook so easily.
Although I belive it will be easier for a generation trained in respect instead of hatred, waiting for the distant day of improvement will get us nowhere.
The point is that change in your world is up to you to initiate. No one is going to jump in and fix things for you.
And if they do, run.
He is the saccharin of leadership.
Thank you, Mr B.
Thank you my friend, the way you and Leon live the life of change continues to inspire me.
If you ever find time to write, I know of many blog communities that would benefit from your experience in service.
I don’t know how to answer that. I know that things aren’t perfect, but I feel it is important to acknowledge the improvement that has been made as we continue to push forward to complete the work.
If the essence of things have not changed, it is because it is far easier to legislate behavior than to change a person’s heart. That is the weakness of politics.
However, the heart change is far more powerful, effective and long lasting. That’s why I hold out for it.
Thank you, I am glad to agree so rightly with. I also liked your post, so filled with excellent MLK quotes.
Thanks, you’re sweet.