Last night I saw the movie SELMA. I wish every American could see this reminder of one of the most critical moments in our history. Today, on the holiday commemorating Martin Luther Kings birthday, lets both remember what went before and recommit ourselves to the work of creating a more perfect union in our time. I was a child when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I saw the news on television; shortly afterwards, my father walked in the backdoor of our house as he did each night around dinnertime. I ran up to him, frantically saying, Daddy, Daddy, Martin Luther King was killed! And I will never forget the look on my fathers face. He looked into the distance and said bitterly, through his teeth, Those bastards. I will never forget that moment, as I wondered, What does he mean, those bastards? Does he know who killed him? And of course he knew. It didnt matter so much who pulled the trigger. Those bastards did the deed. Born and raised in Houston, I remember asking my mother about the sign between the elevators in the Medical Towers Building that read, Colored restrooms downstairs. I remember her explaining to me it was a terrible wrong. I remember our Rabbi at the synagogue speaking out against the Viet Nam War and in support of Dr. King. I feel privileged to have lived at such a time, and to have imprinted on my soul such memories as those. I was honored to be asked by Coretta Scott King, who I had the honor of meeting on several occasions, to speak at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Dr. Kings Birthday in 2002. What an honor, and a genuine thrill. Dr. King was killed at the age of 39. Let us all remember that although he died, ideas only die if we fail to keep them alive. May we ourselves continue the struggle for justice that defines the history of our country, and stand in our time for what he so brilliantly stood for in his. huffingtonpost/marianne-williamson/race-repentance-and-repar_b_5689876.html
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:29:53 +0000
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