TROUBL

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was NOT shot because he had a dream. While the image of Dr King has been immortalized during the March on Washington DC in 1963, those famous words pigeonholing his legacy into a single dimension, which could be evoked with convenience sans reflection. Many remember the image. Some remember his teachings. Few recognize the substance.

The “I Have a Dream” speech has become the mantra of an era dedicated to change. It’s favored throughout the country, taught to children in schools, and especially adored by the media. While this speech is contextually vital to understanding the struggles of the period, there’s more to be recognized.

It’s no surprise that the infamous dream has yet to become a reality. The message is as prevalent today as it was back in the 1960s. Race is still one of the prevailing issues tearing the country apart, the gender struggle continues to rage onwards; and discrimination is rampant on every level in this country whether it is xenophobic, homophobic, or hate concentrated into suffering.

Dr King was assassinated five years after the dream speech.

The bus boycotts, marches, speeches, love and support from his community made him the famous leader. His dreams and ideologies of equality through peaceful civil disobedience made him safe in the eyes of the white conservative corporate driven media, which has done an admirable job of isolating a single individual from the collective whole which gave him strength.

However, the media virtually stopped positive coverage of his good works towards equality not long after the Washington March. Dr. King made the tough decision and spoke to the grievances of the masses beyond the racial lines.

Dr. King found himself embroiled in controversy when he made the decision to no longer maintain his silence about the destructive force, socially and literally, in Vietnam. His non-violent ideals were brought into question by more militant black movements in the north and also the west. The death of Malcolm X further polarized the various movements in the country.

What King realized was that race was not the only issue to combat if the goal of equality was to become a reality. He began to talk about class. King began to speak openly about the impoverished in our society and preaching about economically redistributing the wealth in the country. Once he threatened the foundation of the hierarchical power structure governing this county, his life became expendable.

I once asked an old friend who had been a Black Panther what killed the spirit of the 1960s. I had been so confused as to how such a wide variety of movements (Civil Rights, Student, Anti-War, Women’s, Environmental, etc) and powerful thinking could all end so suddenly. “Simple,” he said. “Everyone who had a strong foundation of support from the community and had led their people in a direction towards providence had been killed. They killed John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Huey Newton, Fred Thompson….”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader who made the ultimate sacrifice necessary to aid not only his own people, but everyone in common. He knew the possible consequences and turned from the favor of millions who praised him at the time. He watched others fall around him, yet he still made the decision to represent those without a voice.

Martyrdom may create praise in future generations, but the value of a teacher is not to be found in a solitary speech or action. Love must be unconditional and when nurtured can become universal. As we celebrate his life, we cannot lose his message. His dreams were designed to wake us up as a society. Forty-five years later, the collective consciousness is still comatose. So, how do we arouse the sleeping giant lulled to sleep by the same old tune meant to honor a man, who with the aid of the community, did so much more?