Happy King Day TransGriot readers!
Today as many of you know is the federal holiday celebrating the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
While I love any holiday, this is one I approach differently. I treat it like Memorial Day or Veteran's Day. I usually spend King Day in quiet reflection of the life of a remarkable man. I wholeheartedly agree with Tavis Smiley's comment that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the greatest American that we ever produced.
That reflection takes many forms. Sometimes I head straight to my bookshelf, pick up a book I own called A Testament of Hope-The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr (edited by James M. Washington) that has compiled his speeches, essays and other writings and reread them. I may surf the Net and watch video of various speeches. Sometimes I brainstorm with other progressive peeps and imagine how dramatically different the United States would be if he hadn't been cut down by an assassin's bullet at age 39.When I was back home, I'd go downtown and check out the King Day parade, then do many of the things I talked about in the previous paragraph. And oh yeah, sometimes I let my inner Texan out and grab some barbecue and strawberry soda.
But honestly, this really isn't (or shouldn't be) a day to party. This should be for those of us who believe in progressive principles more like a day to memorialize him, find ways to serve others, strategize, and rededicate ourselves to doing the hard work it's going to take to make 'The Dream' a reality.Because it seems that in the early 21st century, the Forces of Intolerance are not only more zealous than the Children of Light, they are working twice as hard to keep 'The Dream' from ever happening.
