Remembering the Messages of Dr. King Jr.:
Hello readers, I hope you are all doing well. I wanted to
talk about a beautiful person today. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yesterday was
Martin Luther King Day in the U.S.
This means that some people had the day off of work so they typically just look
at it as a free day. Sadly, too often this day passes without people really
thinking about its importance.
Dr. King was an incredible man who at a time of inflamed
hatred amongst citizens and the government tried to remind us all that we are
all human, made of the same core materials. His dream was to see a world
without hatred, where people judged one another, “not by the color of their
skin but by the content of their character.” I have said before how important
words can be. How words can have an everlasting effect. There is a great quote
from an old Disney movie called The Newsies about the newspaper industry in the
early 1900’s. Back then of course newspapers were the only source of
information other than books. There were a handful of top newspaper tycoons who
wrote the words that thousands of people read and took as truth. The quote in
the movie was said by the character that is supposed to be Joseph Pulitzer, one
of these tycoons and he says, “I tell this city how to think. I tell this city
how to vote. I shape its future.” That is the power of the word! Words are so
powerful that they can be remembered centuries after they are written. It is
the responsibility then of the author of those words to not only speak truthfully
but to ensure their words are fueled by love, not hatred.
If you think of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream Speech, many people remember the
last few sentences, “I have a dream that one day this nation will
rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths
to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the
sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit
down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi,
a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of
oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but
by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.”
While this part of the speech is very memorable there is a lot more that
Dr. King said that day that is also extremely powerful. One of my favorite
sections of the speech is where he talks about everyone’s responsibilities;
“In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not
be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom
by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of
dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate
into physical violence.”
To me this section is very important. He is saying that no one has the
right to fight for equality by using violence against another person. Now, Dr.
King specifies physical violence but I like to think he also meant verbal
violence. It is not okay to tear someone else down in any way, regardless of
your own background, your credentials, your history, etc. No one should be
using words, written or spoken to bully others. I follow a writing community on
Twitter and I was sad to see recently a fight between someone who claims he is
a “professional” book designer basically spewing hate to those who design their
own covers or use pre-made cover templates. He was actually naming some of my
author Twitter friends and telling them, “Your books will never sell.” And
worse. To me, this is not acceptable and goes against everything we should
stand for. We have the power of using words today on social media, in books,
etc. Let us use that power for good not evil.
On the opposite side of a terrible discussion on Twitter, I also
experience a very good interaction recently. Someone reached out to me to say
only heartfelt, kind words about how he felt that I was an inspiration. I wrote
back to him to find out more about him and where he is from. As it turns out he
lives in Kenya.
It was incredible to me that we are so far apart, half a world away from each
other and yet we bonded over the common interest of writing and spreading
positivity. J
Nothing could make me happier. I hope dear readers that you all try to remember
the words and feelings of the wonderful man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We
should all live in a world with less hate and more love. I am including a link
to a site that shows his I Have a Dream speech in its entirety exactly as it
was spoken on that day. I hope you will take the time to read it and think
about how we are still facing these issues and what we can all do to change
that. Until next time dear readers remember writing=happiness ;). And writing
can bring positivity!
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