Wednesday, April 4, 2018

50 years ago, we lost a great American and a genuine Christian prophet

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/50-years-ago-we-lost-great-american-and-genuine-christian-prophet
MGB: Like most children of the sixties, I learned much of what I know about Dr. King from television, specifically the miniseries in 1978 starring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson.  It still holds up, especially regarding the treatment of both Viet Nam and FBI surveillance, although it leaves out some of those details.  The PBS Series Eyes on the Prize filled out this knowledge and of course working on the staff of Marion Barry added flavor.  Walter Fauntroy and Marion had set up office space at 14th and U, NW above the People's Drugstore in preparation for King's imminent arrival to work on the Poor People's March AND desegregating DC.  There are those who think that this is the reason he was killed and that it had nothing to do with James Earl Ray.  I will remain agnostic on that point, but I can appreciate where it is coming from, especially as some of the work Dr. King would have undertaken in DC is still not finished.  Indeed, if you look at some of the towns within a few hundred miles of the Gulf coast, there is quite a bit of unfinished business, and that is before we get to winning hearts and minds.  As long as being black and male carries the implication that one is armed and dangerous, there is still work to be done in the world of law enforcement.  I am not sure how King can rest in peace with such atrocities continuing so many years later, but I can assure you we will be marching come August. Our victory lap five years ago was a bit too early.

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