MLK Day Celebrations

I had the pleasure of attending an MLK Day Celebration on the 18th of January this year. After the event, one of the event organizers sent me an e-mail asking what I thought. Here is a portion of my response. Please read it carefully.

I do have some thoughts on ways to visualize MLK’s Dream for next year. There were white folk on the stage and black folk on the stage. But, I don’t think there were any times two leaders of different ethnicities on the stage simultaneously. Beyond that, I think it would communicate volumes if the choir was of mixed ethnicities. And, MLK’s Dream was not for the “blackifying” of American culture. I fear that our society is doing that to his Dream. And, I fear that the MLK Celebration this year aided in that misrepresentation. For example, I saw nor heard anything from the Jewish nor Catholic faiths. Perhaps next year we could have each of the groups pay homage to MLK in their own voices: Jewish, Catholic, post-modern humanist, Protestant, (heck, even Muslim). It would certainly be a more accurate reflection of the Dream as Dr. King described it in his most famous speach. ". . . . that one day Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro Spiritual 'Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

Let the comments commence.