More Than A Dreamer

I've always been a great admirer of Dr. King. Not the "dreamer" that we celebrate but the revolutionary we've been made to forget. Dr. King's "Dream" speech was delivered as we all know on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. We also know that Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee in 1968. But during the time between his "Dream" speech and his assassination, very little is spoken of his philosophy toward freedom, justice, and equality. The revolutionary King has all been silenced. In fact, many people believe that Dr. King made his "dream" speech, walked off the stage, and was assassinated.

Today, students learn of five major events. The Bus Boycott in 1955, The "Dream" of 1963, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (maybe), The "Mountain Top" speech and The Assassination of 1968. But Dr. King had so much more to say about the injustices in this country not only toward Black folks but to poor, disenfranchised people all over the world who were suffering because of the racist policies of this nation.

While in college I studied those speeches and campaigns designed to bring attention to those injustices. Dr. King was great not because of a dream but because of the realities he made this government face during those times. The struggle for freedom and equality wasn't only about fire hoses and water fountains. It was about policy change and reform. It was about spreading the word across the globe of the institutional racism which created the conditions that exist during those times and continue to exist today. The revolutionary King was an embarrassment to this nation but his non-violent tactics, knowledge of his basic human rights of free speech and expression and his fearlessness to use those tactics, made him dangerous. You don't kill dreamers...revolutionaries on the other hand... Check your history not only US but World history and see the comparisons of all those who were silenced. I can remember reading Malcolm X when I was in high school and thinking that Dr. King was "soft" in his approach because all I knew was "The Dream"

Not only has Dr. King been physically silenced. His legacy as a true revolutionary has been buried in street and school names, (in the worst neighborhoods in our nation), parades, MLK Day Sales, and the mis-education of our youth. Dr. King's dream was so much bigger than a speech, it's even bigger than a Black President. Its up to all of us to remember him for so much more than he's being portrayed. Tell our children, he was a giant...bigger than Jordan, Kobe, Weezy, Kanye, Jigga, and yes...even Obama.

Dr. King is so much more than a day off (that ain't even his real birth date)

Please everyone, as we come to the annual commemoration, look at this video put together by the brothers at SleptOn.org as a tribute to the Dr. King we rarely see/hear from. Thank you.

E. Dodson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvnpyS430dg