Martin

I have thought of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. as Martin since I was a young girl. My father would sneer the title Reverend or Doctor and make it sound ugly. Part of his hateful belief that a black man could not and should not hold a title of accomplishment.

I think being raised in such a enviornment has a lot to do with the development of my voice against prejudice and injustice.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

It made it clear to me that ...

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

I will never forget Martin's speech the night before he was killed. It gave me chills that evening and still does all these years later.

... And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.

The little white girl from a blue collar neighborhood got it then and I still get it today. It forms much of what I believe to be true. It guides my spirit when I feel lost.

And it will make tomorrow all the sweeter ...

“The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame the plight of ourselves on others -– all of that distracts us from the common challenges we face, war and poverty; injustice and inequality,” he added, drawing applause from the crowd. “We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing each other down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.” - President Obama - January 20, 2008.



I wish Martin was with us for this moment ...

All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.




But then again Martin is always with us. He has been a part of the family in my heart and soul all my life ...

Martin - a childhood memory

The song by Dion - "Abraham, Martin and John" is running through my head this morning.

I was in elementary school when Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. It was about the same time that "busing" came to my school. Children from other school districts came to our school - to get a better education and to better integrate the school. I remember thinking it would make more sense if all the schools were good schools and if we all lived together. Why did these kids have to get up hours earlier than me and take a bus to school? Why didn't they just move here? Why wasn't anybody fixing their school?

Busing was my first experience with racism. My father said terrible things about black people - but he said terrible things about everyone - I was under the childlike impression that it was just him - he hated everybody.

We were lined up in the cafeteria waiting for our teachers to come collect us when the buses arrived. The teacher's aides and the PTA Moms were buzzing. I thought they were as excited as I was - how cool to have new kids. "Look at them, they can't behave" - "This won't last" - "It's not their fault, look at how they live". I was getting confused and frightened, clearly something bad was happening. I must not understand. I was anxious and queasy that entire school day. I looked forward to 3PM, all I had to do was pick-up my brother and get out of there.

At 3 I was sitting on the bench waiting for my brother when the buses arrived to take the new kids home. One girl sat down next to me and we eyed each other timidly. Finally she said - "My Dad hates white people" - the words hung there in the stuffy school corridor. "My Dad hates everybody but really hates black people and Jews" I replied. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then laughed. She said she hated coming here, she had to get up too early and her new teacher was scary. I told her I was glad there were new kids but I was worried about all the bad feelings - I didn't understand why we hated each other. "Let's be different" she suggested and I agreed. We did manage to be friends all through elementary school and on into middle school even though we were constantly separated by teachers and PTA Moms. One of the Moms told my parents I was hanging with the bus kids and I was punished but it was too late...

My awareness of a larger troubled world had begun and my inner "Norma Rae" was born.

I was 13 when Dr. King was assassinated. I was devastated. In the few years between that day at school and his death Dr. King had come to represent all I wanted to believe in. He was a kind man - my father was violent. He was intelligent - my father was ignorant. He spoke in cadence - my father spoke in ugly slurs. He elevated the world - my father brought it down.

I used to fantasize that I went to live with Dr. King and his family, Mrs. King seemed as wonderful as he was. My girlfriends from the neighborhood thought it was crazy. "Black people can't adopt white kids!" My friend from the bench thought it was a great idea. "... and I'll go live with Bobby Kennedy, they have so much fun together and he's going to be President"

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through,
The Lord will see us through someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.

We're on to victory, We're on to victory,
We're on to victory someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We're on to victory someday.

We'll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We'll walk hand in hand someday.

We are not afraid, we are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.

The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free,
The truth shall make us free someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
The truth shall make us free someday.

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.

Martin would want us to continue to believe.

Someday is now.