Yesterday was the Birthday of one of the most heroic people in history. He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but his legacy reached into the four corners of the Earth. His oratory was excellent and his competitive spirit was trailblazing. Also, he not only spoke in favor of human rights. He was involved in protests, organizations, boycotts, and other forms of political activism. He was assaulted, spat upon, stabbed, shot at, cursed at, booed, and slandered. Many men would have broken down under the pressure by that experience, but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never wavered in his commitment to social justice and nonviolence. He went to college when he was a teenager. He earned his Ph.D. and he was a middle class preacher (and he was a lifelong clergyman from his ordination to his unfortunate passing). Later, in Alabama, he was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1950's. He electrified black Southerners to counteract unjust laws from Atlanta to Selma. An unjust law is no law at all. Later, he traveled into D.C., Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Dallas, Norfolk, Virginia (in the 757), and in Chicago. He traveled the world in India and in London too. He was in Africa. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife Coretta Scott King inspired him to be against nuclear weapons and to be more overt in opposing the Vietnam War.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted civil rights, reparations, and economic justice. He connected the evils of materialism, militarism, and economic exploitation as coming from the same source. He realized that activism and grassroots organizing were key methods in causing change. Dr. King wasn't popular in America just before he died from 1967-1968. Reactionaries called him a Communist when he rejected Communism in his books and speeches. Moderate black leaders criticized his anti-war views and his promotion of the progressive Poor People's Campaign. Yet, helping the poor is a prerequisite for social enlightenment. He passed away in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is the home of jazz and Dr. King died in the midst of his support of the Memphis sanitation workers desiring just wages and union rights. Dr. King's life showed that he went from a middle class child into an international revolutionary that loved his people. The Dream is not fulfilled yet, but we, of this Joshua Generation, can go so much further in making sure that the Dream is completely and thoroughly realized (as he envisioned).
Rest in Power Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I keep on hearing about the Meghan McCain words on the View recently talking about how she thought that issues dealing with racism were done in the 1960's. She is completely wrong since even the individuals much younger than her realize that racism, classism, economic exploitation, police brutality, sexism, xenophobia, and other evils are still with us in 2019. She basically condemned Steve King's overtly bigoted remarks and said that Republicans are not racist in the majority. The truth is that any supporter of Trump is a racist or a supporter of racism period. About 40% of Americans support Trump. On many issues, there is no middle ground. We have to take stands and speak our minds no matter who disagrees with us. Trump's policies and statements prove that he is white racist extremist. It is always a tactics among many far right white people to distract and minimize racism in order for them to promote a false, Utopian view that society is nearly colorblind. That obviously isn't true. Now, Meghan McCain has a tendency to yell and be very disrespectful towards people who disagree with her. Yet, we should never be that way. We should be cordial, but don't get it twisted. If someone is lying about you, you have every right to defend yourself verbally. She even disagreed with the Gillette commercial when that commercial praised men doing the right thing while condemning males doing the wrong thing. We want men and women to be greater and have happiness at the end of the day. We want black people to have power since power enriches us collectively.
Many people in Congress want Steve King of Iowa to resign because of his racist and xenophobic comments. He said that he doesn't know why the words of white nationalism and white supremacist are offensive. He said that white Western culture is superior to other cultures of the world. He also said that undocumented immigrants have strong legs to carry marijuana into America from Mexico. So, racist rhetoric like that should be condemned and Steve King's views are reprehensible. Also, his views are not uncommon. Back in the day, white racists said these words all of the time. The difference now is that more videos, more social media, and more people are exposing racism in real time. That is a good thing since the only way to fight evil is to shed light on it and use policies to combat it. The House condemned his views and Steve King should resign. The House of Representatives, by a vote of 424 to 1, approved Tuesday a resolution rejecting white supremacy and white nationalism. Democrats and Republicans are calling for Steve King to resign from Congress. During 2019, tons of people aren't tolerating racism and bigotry. We, who live in America, are best when we appreciate our diversity and when we combat any form of bigotry. The statements from Steve King are not representative of Americans (or any freedom lover) who believe in human justice, democracy, and compassion for fellow people.
For over three decades, she has been involved in acting and directing. She has shown the world the light of black excellence and she continues to motivate us in her roles. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in View Park-Windsor Hills, California. Her name is Sister Regina King and it was her Birthday yesterday. She is now 48 years old. When she was young, she was in the show called 227 that detailed the life of an African American family in Washington, D.C. Later, she was in many movies from thrillers like Enemy of the State to dramas like Boyz N the Hood. By the 21st century, she was in the shows Southland and American Crime. She was in the critically acclaimed film called If Beale Street Could Talk. The movie is about a black family in America experiencing joy and pain plus accomplishments and tribulations. The film explains the power of black resiliency. Recently, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has won many awards like BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and the Satellite Awards. Always on the move to promote justice, Regina King has a great legacy today. I wish Sister Regina King more blessings.
By Timothy
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