Visionz
11-07-2005, 11:25 PM
I thought this probably needed it's own thread, but it seems as thou the identiy of MLK, at least for some, is defined by what they learned in school, which is to say, more than likely right next to nothing. Anybody who is interested in seeking a better overstanding of who and what Martin was should check out "A Testament of Hope, the essential writings and speeches of MLK Jr" edited by James Washington. Here is an excerpt to a side some may not be aware of........
"We need organizations that are permeated with mutual trust, incorruptibility and militancy. Without this spirit we may have numbers but they will add up to zero. We need organizations that are responsible, efficient and alert. We lack experience because ours is a history of disorganization. But we will prevail because our need for progress is stronger than the ignorance forced upon us. If we realize how indispensable is responsible militant organizaton to our struggle, we will create it as we managed to create underground railroads, protest groups, self-help societies and the churches that have always been our refuge, our source of hope and our source of action.
{Blacks} have been slow to organize becasue they have been traditionallly manipulated. The political powers take advantage of threee major weaknesses: the manner in which our political leaders emerge; our failure so far to achieve effective political alliances; and {Blacks} general reluctance to participate fully in political life.
................In the future we must become intensive political activist. We must be guided in this direction because we need political strength, more desperatley than any other group in American society. Most of us are too poor to have adequate economic power, and many of us are too rejected by the culture to be part of any tradition of power. Necessity will draw us toward the power inherent in the creative use of politics............Power is not the white man's birthright; it will not be legislated for us and delivered in neat goverment packages. It is a social force any group can utilize by accumulating its elements in a planned, deliberate campaign to organize it under its own control."
Hope everyone here finds it informative. peace
"We need organizations that are permeated with mutual trust, incorruptibility and militancy. Without this spirit we may have numbers but they will add up to zero. We need organizations that are responsible, efficient and alert. We lack experience because ours is a history of disorganization. But we will prevail because our need for progress is stronger than the ignorance forced upon us. If we realize how indispensable is responsible militant organizaton to our struggle, we will create it as we managed to create underground railroads, protest groups, self-help societies and the churches that have always been our refuge, our source of hope and our source of action.
{Blacks} have been slow to organize becasue they have been traditionallly manipulated. The political powers take advantage of threee major weaknesses: the manner in which our political leaders emerge; our failure so far to achieve effective political alliances; and {Blacks} general reluctance to participate fully in political life.
................In the future we must become intensive political activist. We must be guided in this direction because we need political strength, more desperatley than any other group in American society. Most of us are too poor to have adequate economic power, and many of us are too rejected by the culture to be part of any tradition of power. Necessity will draw us toward the power inherent in the creative use of politics............Power is not the white man's birthright; it will not be legislated for us and delivered in neat goverment packages. It is a social force any group can utilize by accumulating its elements in a planned, deliberate campaign to organize it under its own control."
Hope everyone here finds it informative. peace