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MLK, RIP 40 years on...

kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
edited April 2008 in Strut Central
To mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Slate put together a good series of articles.http://www.theroot.com/id/45493Also, NPR has been interviewing people who were with him in the last days of his life all week long. Check their website for more on this. Some very powerful audio of his final speech, given 40 years ago yesterday.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89326670I've been thinking about MLK and his work a lot lately. Take a moment and reflect on what was lost on this date.

  Comments

  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    its hard to believe he was only 39 when he died: he accomplished so much in his short life.

    thank stevie wonder for lobbying to get the holiday officially recognized. (btw, john mccain voted against it)
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I'm gonna be the bad guy here.

    Do we "celebrate" J.F.K.'s assassination? Lincoln?

    After his Birthday, why is his murder highlighted? Is there a Ghandi Murder Day?

    I never got this move. U reflect on his B-Day and his day of passing?

    Like when dudes say" X years ago B.I.G. got shot" But just a chirp for when dude was born.

    M.L.K. changed the planet except for Vogue editors.
  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    Fair enough.

    I think you celebrate the birth; and mourn the death.

    And, a year like 40, it seems significant. There has been some worthy stories to come out of this anniversary.

    I mean, the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination was marked, and remembered. I don't think anyone is celebrating. But, noting its historic significance, and the loss of a great man, seems appropriate.
  • Pistol_PetePistol_Pete 1,289 Posts
    To mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Slate put together a good series of articles.

    http://www.theroot.com/id/45493

    Also, NPR has been interviewing people who were with him in the last days of his life all week long. Check their website for more on this. Some very powerful audio of his final speech, given 40 years ago yesterday.

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89326670

    I've been thinking about MLK and his work a lot lately. Take a moment and reflect on what was lost on this date.

    Huge on checking out NPR.
    I was driving to work today and they were playing parts of Bobby Kennedy's speach in Indianapolis after it had happened. The details leading up to his speach and outcome after were moving.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Fair enough.

    I think you celebrate the birth; and mourn the death.

    And, a year like 40, it seems significant. There has been some worthy stories to come out of this anniversary.

    I mean, the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination was marked, and remembered. I don't think anyone is celebrating. But, noting its historic significance, and the loss of a great man, seems appropriate.

    No doubt. I think it comes at a very crucial time due to Obama AND Clinton's presidential run.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    Fair enough.

    I think you celebrate the birth; and mourn the death.

    And, a year like 40, it seems significant. There has been some worthy stories to come out of this anniversary.

    I mean, the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination was marked, and remembered. I don't think anyone is celebrating. But, noting its historic significance, and the loss of a great man, seems appropriate.

    No doubt. I think it comes at a very crucial time due to Obama AND Clinton's presidential run.

    I think this may be the first aniversary of his assasination and the historical aftermath where the country as a whole is actually distanced but aware enough to look at what really happened when he was killed. Locally in DC, there are news specials about the riots and the areas directly affected, and I don't recall that kind of coverage on the 30th aniversary. There are still areas in DC crippled physically and economically that can trace their dissolution to this date 40 years ago.

    I was watching Tavis Smiley last night and it was a great interview with the author of "What Would Martin Say", Clarence B. Jones, a colleague of Dr. King's. He was quite candid and frank about how King's death could have been prevented by the FBI, seeing as how they were following his(and anyone associated with him) every move for years.

    So I don't think it's celebration as much as reflection on a very critical era in very RECENT history, but one that many of us naturally wish never would have come to pass. But happen it did, and at least people seem to be closer to accepting what it meant now than they may have allowed themselves to in the previous decades.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I hope that - if Obama ends up the Democratic nominee - that he takes McCain to the house for voting against the King holiday.

    By The Time I Get To Arizona The White House
  • pknypkny 549 Posts
    I hope that - if Obama ends up the Democratic nominee - that he takes McCain to the house for voting against the King holiday.

    From http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040401741.html:


    Even in this most idealistic of nations, we do not always take kindly to being reminded of what more we can do, or how much better we can be, or who else can be included in the promise of America. We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona. We can all be a little late sometimes in doing the right thing, and Dr. King understood this about his fellow Americans.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I hope that - if Obama ends up the Democratic nominee - that he takes McCain to the house for voting against the King holiday.

    From http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040401741.html:


    Even in this most idealistic of nations, we do not always take kindly to being reminded of what more we can do, or how much better we can be, or who else can be included in the promise of America. We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona. We can all be a little late sometimes in doing the right thing, and Dr. King understood this about his fellow Americans.

    Ignoramus
  • young_creamyoung_cream 540 Posts
    Dilla beats with an MLK speech over it, very well done. Not sure what speech it was, I think it was his last, but it's dope.

    http://www.zshare.net/audio/100567929f40bcba/
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I hope that - if Obama ends up the Democratic nominee - that he takes McCain to the house for voting against the King holiday.

    From http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2008040401741.html:


    Even in this most idealistic of nations, we do not always take kindly to being reminded of what more we can do, or how much better we can be, or who else can be included in the promise of America. We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King. I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona. We can all be a little late sometimes in doing the right thing, and Dr. King understood this about his fellow Americans.

    Ignoramus

    "a mistake I made myself long ago"

    Sorry grandpa, but it wasn't that long ago.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

    Here is a link to King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. It is longish but well worth the read. A good way to remember.
  • deejdeej 5,125 Posts
  • pknypkny 549 Posts
    http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

    Here is a link to King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. It is longish but well worth the read. A good way to remember.

    A prime example of REAL TALK, thanks for the link.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    here is an excerpt from nathan davis' "suite for martin luther king"

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