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Martin Luther king Jr

Bernice King – Speaking Truth

Black History: Special Delivery!!

The 2021 King Holiday has Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sharing some POWERFUL tweets today! Y’all better stop taking her daddy’s quotes and legacy out of context! Check out the tweets below.

“Please don’t act like everyone loved by father. He was assassinated. 1967 poll reflected that He was one of the most hated men in America. Most hated. Many who quote him now and evoke him to deter justice today would likely hate, and may already hate, authentic King.” -Bernice King


“Dear politicians/political influencers: When you tweet about my father’s birthday, remember that he was resolute about eradicating racism, poverty, and militarism. Encourage and enact policies that reflect your birthday sentiments.” –Bernice King

Source: https://twitter.com/BerniceKing

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2020 Marks 60th Anniversary Of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

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Founded in April 1960 the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized by African American college students to give younger blacks a stronger voice in the civil rights movement. Activist Ella Baker, who was a director with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was credited with organizing students to launch SNCC.  Baker was concerned that SCLC, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was not in sync with younger blacks who sought faster progress in the civil rights movement.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others hoped that SNCC would serve as the youth arm of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).  However, SNCC chose to remain independent of SCLC throughout its existence. Continue reading “2020 Marks 60th Anniversary Of Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)” →

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“Mountain Top”: MLK’s Last Speech Before His Assassination

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MLK QUOTE: “Be concerned about your brother……either we go up together or we go down together.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK made this quote on, April 3, 1968, during what would be his last speech at Mason Temple Pentecostal Church in Memphis, TN. King was in town to support black sanitation workers who were seeking better pay and working conditions. In this famous “mountain top” speech, some felt King seemed to be keenly aware that his life might be cut short.

On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. Originally, James Earl Ray was arrested and convicted of King’s murder. He later recanted his confession. However many felt Ray was not King’s killer and that there was a conspiracy between the US government and the mafia to murder King. An initial ruling found that conspiracy was proved. However, the ruling was later dismissed by the Department of Justice due to a lack of evidence.

Check out the video link to view an excerpt from this historic speech:

Sources:

http://www.thekingcenter.org/assassination-conspiracy-trial

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination

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Remembering Maya Angelou & MLK

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Today we remember the incomparable Maya Angelou.  She would have been 89 today (4/4/17).  Many don’t know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on her  40th birthday birthday in 1968. After his assassination, she refused to celebrate her birthday.  Instead she would send flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King. 

Ironically before Dr. King’s death, he had asked, Maya Angelou to travel with him and visit churches to raise money for his efforts to support the poor. Angelou agreed, but stated she could not begin until after her birthday.  A promise she would never get the chance to fulfill.  She was notified of his death while preparing for her birthday party.

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Remembering The Incomparable Maya Angelou: Gone To Soon

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 Maya Angelou was born, “Marguerite Johnson” on April 4, 1928. She was nicknamed Maya (meaning “my sister”) by her brother. Angelou grew up in Stamps, Arkansas and as a child, was raised by her grandmother. At the age of 7, while visiting her mother in Chicago, Angelou was sexually molested by her mother’s boyfriend. Angelou was ashamed to tell an adult, so she told her brother. She found out later that one of her uncles killed her attacker. Angelou felt that her words had killed the man and as a result did not speak for 5 year until she was 13. Angelou is the mother of one son named, Guy who she had at age 16.  Angelou led a colorful and storied life. Though she never went to college, she was the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees. Continue reading “Remembering The Incomparable Maya Angelou: Gone To Soon” →

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48th Anniversary – Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Black History: Special Delivery!!

Funeral Procession of Martin Luther King Jr
Mule drawn Carriage carries body of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during funeral procession in 1968.

 

Shortly before his death, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had traveled to Memphis, TN to support black sanitation workers in their quest for higher wages and better working conditions. King had become increasingly more vocal about the economic disenfranchisement and discrimination faced by blacks. The rally hoped to draw 6,000 people. On the original date of the march, Dr. King and his supporters withdrew from the march; feeling that the presence of the Black Panther might provoke violence. King later returned to Memphis to attend a second march that was planned. He hoped that this march would be a peaceful one.

Upon arriving, King checked into the Lorraine Motel. Despite security considerations, King chose to stay at the motel. During his earlier visit, he had been criticized for staying at the Holiday Inn because it was viewed as too “lavish”. On the evening of April 4th, King came out onto the balcony of his hotel room on the second floor. He began talking to friends on the ground below. At 6:05pm, a shot suddenly rang out, hitting King. He collapsed immediately. King had been shot by a sniper and was hit in the neck and head. He was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Memphis. Continue reading “48th Anniversary – Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” →

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Moneta Sleet, Jr.: 1st African American To Win Pulitzer Prize For Journalism

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Moneta Sleet, Jr. (1926 – 1996) captured the images and experiences of the civil rights movement and the struggle for equality in the U.S. and Africa. Sleet is perhaps best known for his award winning photo taken at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. of Coretta Scott King her daughter Bernice who was 5 years old at the time. He received the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for the photo.  He was the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for journalism.  Sleet first began photographing the civil rights movement when he traveled to Montgomery, AL in 1955 to cover the Montgomery Bus Boycott lead by Martin Luther King, Jr. As fate would have it, Sleet would cover both the “birth” of the civil rights movement, as well as the funeral of its leader, and everything in-between. Sleet was also known for his coverage of various independence ceremonies and celebrations in Africa.
Continue reading “Moneta Sleet, Jr.: 1st African American To Win Pulitzer Prize For Journalism” →

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Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr.: Performed The 1st Implantation of An Automatic Heart Defibrillator

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levi watkins jr
Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr.

In 1980, Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. (1944-2015) performed the first implantation of an automatic defibrillator in a human heart. Watkins was also a professor of cardiac surgery and an associate dean at John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore Maryland. Dr. Watkins was born in Parson, Kansas. He grew up in Montgomery, AL and became good friends with civil rights leader, Dr. Ralph Abernathy. He also met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who, at the time had just started preaching at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Watkins was inspired by Dr. King and also became involved in the civil rights movement, serving as a volunteer driver transporting church members who were participating in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956. Continue reading “Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr.: Performed The 1st Implantation of An Automatic Heart Defibrillator” →

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Poor People’s Campaign of 1968

 Black History:  Special Delivery!!

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Dr. Martin Luther, King Jr. shared the idea of the “Poor Peoples Campaign” at a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) staff retreat in 1967.  The campaign was to be a “middle ground” between violence and non-violence.  The campaign would be launched with an initial group of 2,000 people who would travel to Washington DC, southern states, and northern states to advocate with government officials for jobs, unemployment insurance, a fair minimum wage and education for the poor.
Continue reading “Poor People’s Campaign of 1968” →

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