2013 represents a remarkable period for reflection on the past and a clarion call to continue the struggle I have previously noted January 1. 1863 was the date of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.  On January 21^st, we will honor the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (actually born on January 15^th).  Former Democratic Senator Harris Wofford (D-PA) and Democratic Congressman John Lewis co-authored a bill calling for a National Day of Service to honor Dr. King. Wofford was an Obama campaign surrogate and was the one who introduced Obama at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia Prior to Obama’s speech on race in America, A More Perfect Union.  John Lewis, a Civil Rights hero, had his skull fractured by Alabama State troopers during a freedom march attempting to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in March 1965. The day became known as “Bloody Sunday”.  President Bill Clinton signed federal legislation calling on Americans to mark the date by offering a day of service to local communities. Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, is this year’s national chairman for the day of service. The Obamas put this service into practice on Saturday, the 19^th. August 28^th will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech. We have much to appreciate in the life of King and the multitude who fought the battle for basic Civil Rights.

KING WOULD BE ON MY SIDE

Virtually everyone claims that they stand with Dr. King. Republicans claim that King was a Republican ignoring King’s charge that Goldwater was attempting to curry favor with racists. MLK advised against voting for Goldwater.

Abortion

Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece, Alveda King, is a Conservative activist and Pro-Life. Rev. Alveda King has said that Martin Luther King Jr. was staunchly pro-life. This flies in the face of King’s acceptance of the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood in 1966. Coretta Scott King accepted the award on his behalf. The link contains MLK’s letter to Planned Parenthood on accepting the award. Would MLK have become more anti-abortion because of an increased number of abortions? Who can say?

Gay Rights

Alveda King alleges that MLK Jr. was anti-gay. The sentiment was supported by a statement made by MLK’s daughter Bernice in 2004 in which she said that her father “did not take a bullet for same-sex marriage”. Bernice marched in an anti-Gay protest led by since disgraced pastor Eddie Long of the New Birth church. Anti-Gay Eddie Long was said to have used is position to coerce sex from four young men. She has since left the New Birth church.  Martin Luther King gave a relatively tepid response to a letter sent to him from a boy questioning his own sexuality. Coretta Scott King, on the other hand was a strong supporter of Gay Rights. Bernice, herself, evolved her views. She included LGBTs among groups that would have received support from her father in a speech given at Atlanta’s official Martin Luther King Day celebration in 2012. Openly homosexual  Bayard Rustin was an essential part of organizing SCLC and the March on Washington. Rustin was the main reason that King adapted the methods of Ghandi techniques. Rustin was forced to sever ties with SCLC when threats of exposing a morals charge which would damage the Civil Rights movement were made.  Rustin was still allowed to be the main organizer of the March on Washington.  Rev. Irene Monroe, does not believe that MLK would have evolved on LGBT issues. She cites quotes from Alveda and Bernice. A quote from Bernice I 2005 is cited, but her more recent comments were not included. Monroe thinks that King would have become socially irrelevant over time. She notes that King did not oppose kicking Rustin out of SCLC.  Would MLK’s views on homosexuality evolved with the times? Would he have stood with Coretta and more recently Bernice, or would King have sided with Alveda?

OBAMA IS NO MLK

President Obama was sworn-in at the White House at a private service on January 20^th. On January 21^st, we celebrate the public Inauguration of the President. Bibles used by Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. will be used in the two swearing in ceremonies. Should a person who wages war like Obama use the Bible of a man of peace like MLK Jr. to be sworn in? Martin Luther King III is honored that Obama is using his father’s Bible. Cornel West is bothered by Obama using King’s Bible and gives his reasons in a You Tube video.  The website Black Agenda Report warns again conflating Martin Luther King Jr. with Barack Obama.  Paul Krugman gives more of a break

Martin Luther King Jr. would have been opposed to the wars in the Middle East and the use of drones.  King would have found the level of poverty appalling. King opposed Goldwater and later challenged LBJ on the war in Vietnam. How would King challenge the current situation? Would he have looked the Congress as the proper place to attack or would he directly attack the President, or both?  Would King have found Romney as objectionable as Goldwater, and supported Obama, or would he have stayed silent? The answer to those questions lies in your personal point of view.

Myrlie Evers Williams, the wife of slain Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers and the woman who saved the NAACP*, noted that King said that he existed because of the people. King felt that he was following the will of the people. People have a tendency to go to sleep after major victories. Blacks have to remember that the struggle goes on. Voter suppression is one method to prevent meaningful change. The Prison-Industrial complex, unequal sentencing in the justice system and the deterioration of the educational system was not opposed in a forceful enough fashion.  Since 1 in 5 African-American jobs are tied to state, local and federal governments, government layoffs have a major impact.

Ella Baker, an important but often forgotten soldier in the struggle for Civil Rights, once said “Strong people don’t need strong leaders. Baker served the NAACP, SCLC and SNCC. Change will come from the bottom up. Efforts to suppress Blacks and Latino votes failed. Billionaire efforts to buy a Presidential election failed. The battle goes on.

Roe v. Wade was thought to have settled the abortion issue, so women relaxed. Many young women don’t understand the importance of the court case. Reproductive Rights are under assault. Body probes are being used s threats to force women into unwanted pregnancies. The Supreme Court will strike down the last remnants of Affirmative Action. Unions will continue to be under assault. Collective action by a strong, united people will be required to fight against the plutocrats.

The struggle goes on. It is a great time to be alive. Lt. Worf exclaimed, “what a horrible way to die” when he saw a man who had died in his sleep. We have to remind ourselves that we cannot rest. The enemy wants you to be hopeless.

*The NAACP was in the midst of scandal and financial ruin in the 1990s. Evers-Williams ran for and chairperson of the organization. She eliminated the debt and helped turn the organization around from scandal. The NAACP of today continues to have questions about its finances in the form of questionable ties to corporations.

Her first husband, Medgar was murdered by Byron De La Beckwith on June 12, 1963 marking another historic date 50 years ago.