Celebrating Martin Luther King

“I Have a Dream.”   These famous words are from one of Martin Luther King’s most piercing and convicting speeches, and it is undoubtedly the most memorable.   The content of the speech still resonates within the hearts of men and women, black and white.  I believe the speech transcends race.

Martin Luther King remains the giant of the civil rights movement, and his life, values and commitment to equality continue to inspire millions.  He laid the foundation for so many to dare to dream and hope for a better future for their families.

As a little boy I have a vague recollection of his death.  All I really remember is my mother saying that they killed Martin!  I did't know what it meant.  I could recall the riots and the tears of people as they responded to the news of his tragic murder.  It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized and understood the magnitude of the event.   

For some at the time the dream died with Martin.  However, because of his vision and his leadership, others picked up where he left off and continued the struggle for equality.  I believe we still have a long way to go with regard to equality, but because of his leadership and sacrifice we are better off than when he died. 

On Monday, January 17^th many in our nation will celebrate the life of Martin Luther King.  As I think about his life and his contribution to the civil rights movement, I will celebrate a man of vision, strength, love, patience, compassion and a love for God.  I want to celebrate his commitment to standing up for the rights of every man to be treated fairly, ethically, and with all of the dignity God created in every human being.  He believed that all people should be judged by who they are and what they do.

Because of his sacrifice I have been given so many opportunities to take advantage of all this great country has to offer.  I want to thank him for the fact that I do not have to drink from a “black only” fountain or go to a “black only” restroom.  The further removed we get from his life and times it is easy to forget what it was like to live in the sixties in America.  I do not ever want to forget.

There will never be another Martin Luther King and his life and legacy is worth celebrating!

Wasted Lives

"If I could get the ear of every young man but for one word, it would be this; make the most and best of yourself. There is no tragedy like a wasted life--a life failing of its true end, and turned to a false end." -T.T. Munger

I do a lot of work in some of the toughest areas of Richmond, San Pablo and Oakland, CA. Many times I have the opportunity to interact with the people who live in those cities. About a month ago I had an encounter with a young man who evidently felt I disrespected him in some way. I am still not sure what I did, but he was filled with so much hate and anger directed at me that if he had had a gun with him I probably would not be writing this blog. There are so many young black men that possess so much rage it doesn’t take much to set them off. My experience that day reminded me of a scene in the movie Tombstone when Wyatt Earp asked Doc Holiday what made Johnny Ringo do the horrible things he did:

Wyatt Earp: What makes a man like Ringo, Doc? What makes him do the things he does?
Doc Holiday: A man like Ringo has got a great big hole, right in the middle of him. He can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it.
Wyatt Earp: What does he need?
Doc Holiday: Revenge.
Wyatt Earp: For what?
Doc Holiday: Bein' born.

I think there are a lot of angry young black men out there that are cut from the same cloth as Johnny Ringo. They are seeking revenge for “bein’ born.” They want revenge for not having an intact home, for not being loved, and for not having the life they only see in the movies. They take out their revenge on other blacks. They get involved in drugs to make quick money, and join gangs to find acceptance and protection. In an episode of the television series “American Gangster,” a gang member says that he expected to be dead by 25 years old and now that he is 35 he does not know what to do with the rest of his life. It is a sad commentary when people live their lives with the expectation that will be dead before their 25th birthday. This is the reality of many young blacks living in the ‘hood.

The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics Report offers a snapshot of racial disparities among violent crime victims. Black people represented an estimated 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2005, (the latest data available), but were the victims of 49 percent of all murders. Most of the black murder victims — 93 percent — were killed by other black people, the study found. In another study dated Aug. 9, 2007 the Federal Justice Department stated “49% of murder victims are black m and most are 17-29 years old, and their murder rate is going up.”

My question is where is the concern? Where are the protests? Young blacks are dying at such high rates and yet it doesn’t even garner a front page article. It’s like it’s old hat, like it doesn’t matter that one more young black man has died at the hands of another black. There are so many studies, books and articles of the plight of blacks in America, but no resolution. I applaud those who are trying to address the problems, but much more is needed.

What needs to be done? I believe we need to have more positive role models in the black community. We need to impress upon our young people the value of education. We need to value family. An unprecedented 70% of all babies born into black families are born into single parent households—we must reverse this trend if we are going to change the course of our current downward spiral. We need to focus on the lives of children and create an environment of learning and support that will begin to reverse the negative cycle. The problem will not be cured overnight, but we need to start now!

We need black leaders from all walks of life to exercise their influence to make a difference. Sports and movie stars, doctors, lawyers, architects, teachers, business owners and the like have a very important part to play. They must be active in encouraging and inspiring our young people to break the chain of ignorance and the cycle of death and destruction by inspiring a sense of hope that will help change our communities.

18000 vs 40000

On March 17, 2010, Bret Baier, commentator for Fox News, conducted an interview with President Obama. During the interview Bret Baier shared with the President that he had received over 18,000 emails from Americans with questions they had for the President. One of the first questions he read was one questioning the passage of the Healthcare bill. Without missing a beat the President retorted with the statement that he had received over 40,000 emails in support of the Healthcare bill. What a disappointing response from the leader of all Americans.

My disappointment was not the fact that the President expressed an opposing viewpoint, but the fact that he did not answer the question. He totally dismissed the person’s question as not being worthy of a response. As a leader it is not only important that we listen to those who agree with us, but to listen to the ideas and opinions of those who do not. It is about shaping consensus. The ability of a leader to gain consensus is vital, especially for the President. A leader will not always be able to gain consensus on every issue, however with so many critical issues facing our country we must be able to find common ground that transcends partisan politics.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

How does a leader mold consensus? The key is leaving your ego at the door, realizing that others might have better ideas than you do.

What are some of your ideas for molding consensus?