Yesterday at ecstatic dance, the DJ played the whole MLK Jr I have a dream speech with a techno/dance thump behind it and 100+ (mostly white) writhed, danced and cheered at predictable intervals. This morning, at yoga, the teacher read the oft-quoted paragraph from that same speech as our opening invocation. I sat with eyes closed and mouthed along with him. I loved it and learned it decades ago. I take no issue with the I have a dream speech. Its eloquent in a way few public addresses have been. And lets be clear about why we like to cheer along with that particular passage - and why the rest of MLKs life and message remains uncomfortable or unfathomable to most Americans. Those beloved lines speak of the simplicity of racial integration. Black and white children sitting down together. And thats now possible. A victory won. So much more of what MLK - and scores of Americans - fought and died for is still undone. Systemic racism is still in place and the lines between rich and poor have deepened since his death. Most Americans still dont understand what civic engagement means, beyond voting. And demonstrators are still maligned rather than applauded when they seek redress for problems that are difficult for some to see. If youve only ever read that one paragraph from I have a dream, try out Letter from a Birmingham jail this year for the holiday. Its short and youll be glad you read it with your family. Go see Selma. That film is a gift to our nation now as protestors make the news en masse again. Hold the dream, and may we all keep expanding our understanding. #blacklivesmatter
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:10:19 +0000
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