Remembering Dr. King

Fri04Apr2008

09:43 H | Topics: Activism - History - Race

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There will be speeches by all the presidential hopefuls. The media will say that Obama has an edge because he's black and ignore the race baiting by Hillary Clinton's campaign and well the outright racism from the McCain camp.
In my daughter's school there will be a lesson on how thanks to Dr. King the white students and students of color can be in the same classroom and then the ESL students will be taken out of the class and miss important information being taught from 15 year old textbooks.

We've come a long way huh?

I was listening to some of Dr. King's speeches this morning (WBAI 99.5 in NYC has an all day special) and listening to the speechs and comparing then to the truthful words of Jeremiah Wright, make Wright sound like, well, nothing to worry about.

But there is much to worry about. Now, like when Dr. King was alive, we are engaged in a war of occupation with people of color being used as cannon fodder and collateral damage.

Now like when Dr. King was alive, politicos will say that they aren't racist, but continue to push and defend racist policies. I can't wait to hear what Bush has to say about Dr. King. Ok I can, but you know what I mean.

What fails to be recognized so far has best been said over at Black Looks about what people won't be saying and what out children won't be learning but damn well should be:

They will not say that the same forces who killed Martin Luther King Jr also killed Patrice Lumumba, Che Guevara, Salvador Allende, Thomas Sankara and thousands of others who refused to be silenced and dared to dream of another world.

They will not say that the same forces who killed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr are also responsible for the forced removal of President Betrand Aristide who is still prevented from returning to his home and position in Haiti.

They will not say that the same forces who sought to destroy the reputation of Martin Luther King Jr are the same forces responsible for the disappearance of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine - a Haitian civil rights leaders who has fought consistently for the dignity and human rights of Haitian people including the end of the UN / US Occupation of Haiti

They will not say that Martin Luther King Jr was killed one year after he began to speak out again the US war in Vietnam.

Make sure you say it.

Via / Black Looks