Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Martin Luther King, Jr.

                                               

                                        

My granddaughter, Monica, is studying Missouri history.  Her lesson today included some things about slavery in America (and Missouri), and she and her sister both heard facts today about Martin Luther King, Jr., since his day is coming up soon, and they'll have the day off school.

Because it was on their minds, I told them what a great speaker the man was.  I love good preaching, and MLK was a great preacher.  He knew how to stir people's hearts.

Then I went to this web site, where you can download Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, and I started listening to it.  Monica was doing her homework at the kitchen table, and Natalie was in my bedroom playing a game on the Playstation.  But as Martin reached the crescendo of his speech, both girls were drawn to the computer like metal to a magnet, listening.  Natalie was disappointed when she saw it wasn't a video.

My granddaughters really will never know how bad it was:  how African-Americans had to use inferior bathroom facilities because they weren't allowed to use the same sanitary rest rooms as white people.  How they couldn't sit at the counter of a restaurant with white people.  How they had to enter some places through the back door.  And how they had to sit at the back of the bus.

Let's thank God that things are better now.  It isn't perfect, but at least we've come further than we were in 1963.  And much of that is due to Martin Luther King, Jr.

And I'm thankful to my friend Joanna that, just one time, I was able to  stand on those steps where Martin Luther King Jr. made that speech.  It was one of the high spots of my life.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure I have said this here before but I will say it again. When I was young in my small home town there was only one black man working there. I just could not understand why he had to go to the back of the cafe to order a hamberger. When we went to San Antonio the black people would have to go to the back of the bus. I felt so bad for them. I'm glad things are much better now days. Paula

Anonymous said...

What a great entry and tribute to a great man! Thanks for sharing that.

Amanda over at Hey, I'm Country.
http://journals.aol.com/trickeytricky/CountryMyKindaLivin

Anonymous said...

I'm in total agreement with you Mo about the way black people have been treated in America.  We went to see the movie "Glory Road" about the first black team to make it in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  What a heart-wrenching story and praise God for a man like Don Haskins who had the courage of his convictions and opened the door for young black men get an education and play basketball in the process.  Go see it, it's a wonderful movie and there's not one cuss word in the movie.........Sam7md2

Anonymous said...

You've said a whole mouth full of truth, Mo. The worst of it is while the laws have been passed we shall live by. It will be our children's children who will wonder what this/that Civil Rights Movement was all about so long ago, as they go about their daily lives with no thoughts of race, color or creed?

Anonymous said...

Each generation has something special to pass on to the next and it's important we try to do that.  It will never seem as important to the next generation as it was to those living at the time of those historical moments.  Keep telling the stories, it's important!  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...

I too, am a staunch admirer of MLK.  His speech always stirs me to tears.  He was really quite a man..

Jackie