Some Thoughts on Martin Luther King Day

And how the media landscape today weakens our democracy and makes us dimmer.

sean808080’s ohmbase dispatch

#RonDeSantis is a #WhiteSupremacist. And he will run for president in 2024 as a Republican. Canceling AP African American studies is a timed dog whistle, right after #MLKDay2023.
#Despicable
#Racism
#VoteOutEveryRepublican

https://mastodon.social/@QasimRashid/109714148384102074

More shots ringing out. More people running. And more people hurt or killed.

The shooting at the #MLKDay2023 celebration in Fort Pierce Monday was the 30th mass shooting in the U.S. so far in 2023, according to @[email protected]

That's an average of 2 a day.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/2023/01/17/fort-pierce-martin-luther-king-day-mass-shooting-united-states/69814693007/

MLK Day shooting in Fort Pierce is the 30th mass shooting in U.S. so far this year

With Monday's shootings at Fort Pierce's MLK Day celebration there have been 30 mass shootings in the U.S. and five in Florida so far this year.

Treasure Coast

#MLKDay2023 is now over, but the need to keep learning about his message and about ways to help his vision become a reality go year-round.

I focus on helping kids in high poverty areas, via organized #tutor #mentor programs. I wrote this yesterday. http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2023/01/help-build-networks-of-support-for.html

Help Build Networks of Support for Youth in High Poverty Areas

Today and over the past weekend I've seen hundreds of posts about Dr. ML King Jr, like the one below. As we reflect on Dr. King's message, ...

Late entry on this #MLKDay2023 of reflection. Many came before and laid foundations to get us here. #JackieRobinson was one of those pillars of change. Let's recommit to real change so all can have authentic #Freedom and true #Equality4All

#MLK
#MLKDay
#Heros

@[email protected]:for #MLKDay2023 check out @Pj_Darrington's interview with the authors of a recent biography @TeenVogue who argue that King—an anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist socialist—should be "firmly situated within the Black radical tradition," instead of sanitized.
teenvogue.com/story/mlk-capi…
Lexi McMenamin (they/them) on Twitter

“for #MLKDay2023 check out @Pj_Darrington's interview with the authors of a recent biography @TeenVogue who argue that King—an anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist socialist—should be "firmly situated within the Black radical tradition," instead of sanitized. https://t.co/Vb3EmTaJFO”

Twitter
“Will we see in 2023 that honoring you = more than statues & quotes?” — Bernice A. King, youngest daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., reflecting on MLK Day 2023. #linotype #letterpress #silenceiscomplicity #belovedcommunity #berniceaking #mlk #mlkday #mlkday2023 #nonviolence
www.commondreams.org/opinion/m…

MLK Jr was a fighter for both racial equality AND for the working and poor masses! His firmly held beliefs in liberation from capitalism are mostly "conveniently" left out of the many articles and speeches that are released on MLK Jr day. Weirdly enough it is the very moderates/centrists/liberals that love to invoke his name at every possible chance that would talk down to him if he were alive. He was and will always be a true comrade of the people and the shared struggle against capitalism! One of my favorite quotes from him outright states how white moderates are the real roadblocks to equality. His words have been shown to be true of communities of all kinds throughout the decades. The most recent being the struggle of the LGBTQIA+ communities and gay marriage.

The quote:
"First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

Too many moderates/liberals hold back and demand that oppressed folks hear words to the effect of "Oh I agree with you, but it just isn't the right time for you." Telling people that are openly being oppressed that they "have to wait" until those moderates themselves feel "safe enough" to openly do anything is truly fucked up. They have their privileged and dictate when people that are being attacked and murdered are "allowed" to live. When they do finally feel "safe" enough to "stand" with the oppressed. They go all-in on making sure they are ready with the "good optics" of photo-ops and nice words. Much like how the loser dem leaders chose to wear Kente cloths and telling people to vote harder instead of doing their jobs to actually make the fucking laws get changed. Once cameras and mics are off, they just go back to business as usual and keep bowing to the demands of conservatives. AND they went on to support even more funding to the very police that were and still are murdering POC! They supported more money to the military industrial complex that profits from weapons of war being pumped into the pig stations. They support private prisons who's whole profits come from more and more people (especially POC) being locked up!

#MLKDay2023 #martinlutherkingjr #MLKJr #Socialism #liberationforall
A True and Visionary Radical, Martin Luther King Jr. Was No Moderate

In his absorbing profile of the writer Alex Haley (author of "Roots" and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X") in the New York Times Book Review a year ago, Michael Patrick Hearn made a familiar mistake. He wrote: "Politically [Haley] he was a moderate, philosophically more Martin than Malcolm."

Common Dreams

For your #MLKDay2023,

Here is his entire 'The Other America' speech from Stanford University in 1967.

If you don't have time for the who thing, the first 15 minutes are pretty spectacular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOWDtDUKz-U

MLK: The Other America

YouTube
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