Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was signed into law by former president Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983, fifteen years after Dr. King's assassination. The holiday is celebrated in the United States every year on the third Monday of January. On this day, federal buildings, banks, post offices, and most schools close in his honor. The first national celebration of this holiday was held on January 20, 1986. Each year it has a different theme, promoting the equality and non-discrimination ideals that were at the heart of Dr. King's cause.

The bill proposed to make a holiday in Dr. King's honor wasn't supported by everyone, though. It did pass the House of Representatives by a vote of 338 to 90. Then went on to the Senate where it also passed. Although, one senator from Georgia opposed the bill and said that Dr. King was a communist.

Source:

http://www.holidays.net/mlk/holiday.htm

It is amusing that someone would accuse Martin Luther King, Jr. of being a communist. He was quite outspoken about it, and proclaimed Democracy to be the best goverment.

Don't take my words for it - his are much better than I could hope to articulate. The following passage is from his sermon Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, on 17 November 1957.

This is true in our international struggle. We look at the struggle, the ideological struggle between communism on the one hand and democracy on the other, and we see the struggle between America and Russia. Now certainly, we can never give our allegiance to the Russian way of life, to the communistic way of life, because communism is based on an ethical relativism and a metaphysical materialism that no Christian can accept. When we look at the methods of communism, a philosophy where somehow the end justifies the means, we cannot accept that because we believe as Christians that the end is pre-existent in the means. But in spite of all of the weaknesses and evils inherent in communism, we must at the same time see the weaknesses and evils within democracy.

Democracy is the greatest form of government to my mind that man has ever conceived, but the weakness is that we have never touched it. Isn't it true that we have often taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes? Isn't it true that we have often in our democracy trampled over individuals and races with the iron feet of oppression? Isn't it true that through our Western powers we have perpetuated colonialism and imperialism? And all of these things must be taken under consideration as we look at Russia. We must face the fact that the rhythmic beat of the deep rumblings of discontent from Asia and Africa is at bottom a revolt against the imperialism and colonialism perpetuated by Western civilization all these many years. The success of communism in the world today is due to the failure of democracy to live up to the noble ideals and principles inherent in its system.

Delivered by the author 1/20/08 in West Hartford, Connecticut:

The easy way to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to recall the stirring words he delivered in late August, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. I have memorized that speech in its entirety and, would that we had time, I would gladly recite Dr. King's beautiful and inspirational prose to you today. Dr. King's words bring tears to my eyes whenever I hear them. Tears of joy when I think of just how far we've come with regard to honoring the dignity of every human being. And, sadly, tears of sorrow when I think about the fact that Dr. King's dream has not yet come true for America.

As most of you know, it's not my style to take the easy way out. I'm not going to take the easy way out and talk about how far we've come. I want to talk to you about where we've got to go.

It occurred to me earlier today when I was writing these remarks that Dr. King's dream has not come true because I needed to pause to ask a question of a few friends of mine. These individuals are far brighter than I, far more educated than I. The question I was faced with? How shall I refer to the people that in Dr. King's speech he himself referred to as "Negroes?" Shall I use "black persons?" Shall I use "African-Americans?" Shall I use "persons of color?"

No! No. Not until such a choice needn't enter my mind and I can call you, simply, "my friends" will Dr. King's dream come true. Not until the slightest doubt in the minds of any of you that you are, indeed, my friends, is erased will Dr. King's dream come true.

On this day, January 20th, 2008, we are very fortunate. We are fortunate that we are farther away from the hatred and bigotry than we've ever been before. Would that Dr. King were here to opine on whether or not we who were alive during his lifetime would ever see a black man as a viable candidate for the office of the Presidency of the United States. Wonder for a moment what he'd say, how proud he'd be that the eloquent and charismatic Senator Obama were in the running for the office some call "leader of the free world."

Free. Huh. Sure, I've heard people say Senator Obama's success means that Dr. King's dream has come true. That is not so.

Dr. King's dream will not come true until we erase the cycle of poor self-esteem which growing up with racism breeds. A young man that I know, in fact, he's sitting right here among us today,  is a fine musician, but must work a very tiring job in the service industry so he can continue his schooling. He told me that a former schoolmate of his came rolling by not too long ago in a fancy car, wearing gold chains around his neck. His schoolmate laughed at him and asked if he'd not like to make fast, "easy" money selling drugs. My friend, thankfully, told his schoolmate that he'd rather mop floors than sell his soul. Dr. King's dream will not have come true until stories like this are a thing of the past.

Dr. King's dream will not come true until people of color are no longer followed by security guards at the mall. Dr. King's dream will not come true until the number of black motorists stopped by the police in the town where I live is equal to or fewer than the number of white motorists stopped there. You've read it in the newspapers. There are some among you who have voiced concerns about driving to my place of business because of my town's poor record with regard to racial profiling. No, Dr. King's dream has not yet come true.

I found it interesting that it was right around this time of year, January 18th of 1968, that singer and entertainer Eartha Kitt embraced Dr. King's ideal of civil disobedience when dealing with a situation that is all too similar to the one we have in this country right now. Miss Kitt had been invited by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson to a luncheon attended by women from many different walks of life to discuss the problem of crime in the United States. A mere few days before this luncheon took place, President Lyndon Johnson had, during the State of the Nation address, proposed an additional ten percent tax to help pay for the burden of the war on the country's finances.

Miss Kitt stood up and spoke out loud and long against high taxes, and then pointed a finger at the First Lady and spat out, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed,” she said. “They rebel in the street. They will take [sic] pot and they will get high. They don’t want to go to school because they’re going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam.”

Lady Bird Johnson cried when she gave her feeble response. The truth had been told and there's no arguing with the truth. Now I'll tell you that it ain't nice to be invited to somebody's house for lunch and then castigate them for the business of their spouse. But Eartha, Bless her, did indeed do that. Leticia Baldridge, the etiquette Queen, was quoted by the New York Times as saying, "ça ne se fait pas" — "this will not be done." But Miss Kitt did it. Had Dr. King not spoken years before I'd hazard a guess that Miss Kitt would not have even been included in the guest list. Little did Lady Bird know that upon allowing Miss Kitt into that luncheon, it was tantamount to inviting in the dozens of war protesters who at that very moment were surrounding the White House gates.

Some people were aghast that Miss Kitt had the unmitigated gall to criticize anything the Johnson administration did given the fact that it was Lyndon Baines Johnson who signed some of the most significant civil rights legislation ever created. Eartha Kitt said, "no, that's not enough." And she exercised her right to free speech. Sadly, she didn't get significant work in this country until ten years later, due to the cowardice of her potential employers.

Dr. King said that:

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.

This year those words ring out with as much timeliness and import as they did in 1963. We're indeed at a turning point. The country will not return to business as usual, regardless of whom is elected President. Let us continue to to assert our legitimate discontent with our voices, wherever and whenever we have the opportunity.

There's also something we can do silently and in private but that speaks more powerfully than any thing our voices may utter. Let us vote. Do your best to convince those who'd not cast a vote due to apathy that indeed their vote does matter. To those who are conspiracy theorists and believe that elections are "fixed," I say, there's only one way to fix the elections. Go to the polls and vote.

Indeed, Dr. King's dream has not yet come true. But for you I have good news. We can all say to the children and their children that after eight years of business as usual in Washington, we must remember these times. We are in a position to elect a person who's not a fat old white guy like me for President. And I don't think that Dr. King in his wildest dreams would've thought that electing anyone but a fat old white guy President were possible a mere forty-five years after that historic day in Washington.

So I conclude by telling you that I, like Dr. King, have a dream. I beseech you, embrace your dreams. They may come true far sooner than forty-five years from now.

UPDATE 19 JANUARY 2009: TOMORROW BARACK OBAMA WILL BE SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

SOURCES:

http://undercoverblackman.blogspot.com/2008/01/happy-birthday-eartha-kitt.html

http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

http://www.1968pennies.com/thisweekin1968.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/weekinreview/03zernike.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

(All accessed January 20, 2008)

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