I grew up in the south, well, Texas, but for fifties and sixties racism purposes, it was part of the Old South. When I was a kid, there were still segregated lunch counters and separate restrooms. My parents were 'carpetbaggers', having moved to Dallas from Illinois and Pennsylvania, so my upbringing taught me this was wrong. But I vividly remember being pretty much alone, in those days, in my hometown, in that thinking. It may be why I'm so liberal today.
One of my heroes then, and now, was Dr. King. His quiet dignity and forceful determination were, and are, an inspiration to me. Geov Parrish has a great post today on him and his legacy, and the future of his legacy. Let's honor it and him.
The saddest loss in the modern narrative of Dr. King's career is the story of who he was: a man without wealth, without elected office, who managed as a single individual to change the world simply through the strength of his moral convictions. His power came from his faith, and his willingness to act on what he knew to be right. That story could inspire many millions to similar action -- if only it were told. We could each be Dr. King.
No comments:
Post a Comment