"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.""I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."...these are two of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King..when Stevie Wonder's "*Hotter than July LP*":http://mog.com/CrashPryor/blog_post/21057 came out I was 9 and the MLK Day that we acknowledge at present was still not yet made a holiday, which is why Wonder wrote the song for his album in 1981 because "Mr. Morning in America" himself, Ronnie Ray-Gun wasn't having it, son...eventually, the holiday went through in some places, in my home state they deemed it "*Lee-Jackson-King Day,*":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Jackson-King_Day as in "Robert E./Stonewall", to appease those "salt-of-the-earth-types" (read: bigots) in the hinterlands of my native state who might go all "birth of a nation" if they had to celebrate in honor of King, a black guy...so the state legislators lumped the celebration of King's birth with an honoring of the Commander of the Confederate Armies and a Confederate general ("Stonewall Jackson) which contravened on the message that the Reverend Dr. was getting at in the "content of character" part of his I Have a Dream speech-- I've always thought he he was assassinated that fateful day at the Hotel Lorraine in Memphis for expressing his feelings on the latter...I'll always give U2 props for pointing out MLK's importance to younger heads; the rest of the world with their tune "In the Name of Love"......this post ends on a bright note: it's years after I'd left, the day has been officially changed to Martin Luther King Day and is celebrated all over the country...below is the Stevie Wonder video that re-iterates what I'd like to take the time to say: *Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr*....
MrFrost says
Common just made a MLK song and released the video too. I think its good artists never forget this subject, to keep it fresh in young minds.... The further we get away from 1968 the easier it will be for people to forget the importance of MLK
reverend geoffrey says
does anyone remember the shit storm controversy of p.e.'s "by the time i get to arizona" video? arizona was one of the last states to hold out on the mlk holiday.
Wozniak says
Today's the day I listen to "Like A King~I'll Rise~Bye and Bye, I'm Going to See The King" by Ben Harper once every hour. RIP, MLK.
These are two photos I took at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel, where he was shot. (I hope they show up)
CrashPryor says
...I saw those thanks for sharing, Woz "I may not get there" was an eerily prescient quote he used--as he was killed shortly after uttering the statement...
mickimicki says
Thank you for this post. There's no MLK day over here, but a lot of what he stood for applies everywhere. Also, I was very touched by the video on "your other blog":http://chronicridicule.blogspot.com/2007/01/happy-birthday-martin-luther-king.html .
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.""I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."...these are two of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King..when Stevie Wonder's "*Hotter than July LP*":http://mog.com/CrashPryor/blog_post/21057 came out I was 9 and the MLK Day that we acknowledge at present was still not yet made a holiday, which is why Wonder wrote the song for his album in 1981 because "Mr. Morning in America" himself, Ronnie Ray-Gun wasn't having it, son...eventually, the holiday went through in some places, in my home state they deemed it "*Lee-Jackson-King Day,*":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Jackson-King_Day as in "Robert E./Stonewall", to appease those "salt-of-the-earth-types" (read: bigots) in the hinterlands of my native state who might go all "birth of a nation" if they had to celebrate in honor of King, a black guy...so the state legislators lumped the celebration of King's birth with an honoring of the Commander of the Confederate Armies and a Confederate general ("Stonewall Jackson) which contravened on the message that the Reverend Dr. was getting at in the "content of character" part of his I Have a Dream speech-- I've always thought he he was assassinated that fateful day at the Hotel Lorraine in Memphis for expressing his feelings on the latter...I'll always give U2 props for pointing out MLK's importance to younger heads; the rest of the world with their tune "In the Name of Love"......this post ends on a bright note: it's years after I'd left, the day has been officially changed to Martin Luther King Day and is celebrated all over the country...below is the Stevie Wonder video that re-iterates what I'd like to take the time to say: *Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr*....
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