Tribute to a King

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." -Martin Luther King, Jr.


Much has been written about Dr. Martin Luther King since his untimely death by assassination in 1968. It is the late great literary scholar, James Baldwin, who in my opinion, comes closest to describing the essence of the man in his remarkable Harper's essay, "“The Dangerous Road Before Martin Luther King”. He opined, 

"King is a great speaker. The secret of his greatness does not lie in his voice or his presence or his manner, though it has something to do with all these; nor does it lie in his verbal range or felicity, which are not striking; nor does he have any capacity for those stunning, demagogic flights of the imagination which bring an audience cheering to its feet. The secret lies, I think, in his intimate knowledge of the people he is addressing, be they black or white, and in the forthrightness with which he speaks of those things which hurt and baffle them.  He does not offer any easy comfort and this keeps his hearers absolutely tense. He allows them their self-respect—indeed, he insists on it."

On this day of his noble birth, let us all take a moment to reflect upon his message, especially the speech he delivered on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of Clergy and Laity Concerned at Riverside Church in New York City.The speech,"

Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence" was a very powerful one which some scholars argue led to his ultimate demise.

Unlike most leaders today who rather crawl than stand, he died nobly holding on to his convictions 'til the very end.

Tribute to a King by MixmasterE


 




OneLove

:::MME:::