Howard Thurman

There is the Howard Thurman story. He had an influence on Dr. Martin Luther King.
Thurman was a classmate at Morehouse College. Thurman mentored the young King and
his friends. Thurman lived in segregated Daytona, Florida. A black man gave him money
to go on the train in Daytona. When Thurman wrote his autobiography, he dedicated it
"to the stranger in the railroad station in Daytona Beach who restored my broken
dream sixty-five years ago." He participated in missionary work and talked with
Mahatma Gandhi. Thurman was a student at Boston University and King on many times
visited Thurman as the dean of Marsh Chapel. Walter Fluker, who has studied
Thurman's writings, has stated, "I don't believe you'd get a Martin Luther King, Jr.
without a Howard Thurman." Howard Thurman lived from 1899 to April 10, 1981. He wrote
20 books and he helped to found the first racially integrated, multicultural church in
America back in 1944 (called the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San
Francisco, California). Founded on the ideal of diverse community with a focus on a
common faith in God, Thurman brought people of every ethnic background together to
worship and work for peace. Thurman followed non violent resistance and the idea of
Jesus Christ in the New Testament acting as a liberator. Jesus Christ was liberator
since he gave inspiration, hope, & healing to the poor, the suffering, the diseased, the
outcasts, and the rejected in society hope. For in spite of their suffering, the Father
God and the Son of God including the Holy Spirit still loved them (and have a concern
for the welfare of the whole human race in a sensitive, authentic fashion). He got his
doctorate at Haveford. Thurman's famous book from 1949 is called "Jesus and the
Disinherited." It deeply influenced people of many backgrounds like Dr. King and
others. He served as the spiritual advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sherwood
Eddy, James Farmer, A. J. Muste, and Pauli Murray. The book wanted to inspire the
disinherited to have faith in order to go overcome oppression in society like Jesus
Christ overcome sin in his life's journey on Earth. His wife Sue Bailey Thurman was
active in civil rights and the religious communities. His first wife died in 1930 because
of tuberculosis. He had Olive by his first wife and Anne Spencer Thurman from his
second wife. He is famous for making lovely and philosophical quotations on theology and
life. One of my favorite quotes from him is the following words:
"...In the conflicts between man and man, between group and group, between nation
and nation, the loneliness of the seeker for community is sometimes unendurable.
The radical tension between good and evil, as man sees it and feels it, does not
have the last word about the meaning of life and the nature of existence. There is a
spirit in man and in the world working always against the thing that destroys and lays
waste. Always he must know that the contradictions of life are not final or ultimate;
he must distinguish between failure and a many-sided awareness so that he will not
mistake conformity for harmony, uniformity for synthesis. He will know that for all
men to be alike is the death of life in man, and yet perceive harmony that transcends
all diversities and in which diversity finds its richness and significance." (From The
Search For Common Ground; An Inquiry Into The Basis Of Man's Experience Of
Community).
So, Dr. Thurman is an inspirational figure that desired to fight for the truth and
promote the calm grace of God's Spirit. Its fine to protect the publics land, water, and
air. We should fight in the behalf of oppressed people and the poor in the world. Many
people experience poverty, not by laziness, but because of other circumstances (like job
layoffs, etc.). So, its certainly our responsibility to help the poor in any legitimate ways
that we can. One sign of how much improvement we experience in a society is how much
we provide for those who have little. This extension of compassion for the human race
includes the improvement of labor, having a living wage in industry, and following the
Golden Rule in our daily lives. Austerity doesnt work and its a negation of real human
values. The guaranteeing of education for all citizens and having Social Security arent
detriments to human beings, but its a means to make a more perfect Union.


As I get older, I'm starting to understand more about issues. Just because someone calls
themselves as a part of the GOP doesn't mean that they are pro-God. Even the
Republicans back then are different from the Republicans that you see today. Once,
Theodore Roosevelt (despite his errors) fought to promote food safety from the robber
barons. He promoted environmental safety and used money to preserve natural treasures
in the form of national parks in America to benefit all Americans. Once, the Republican
& NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia governed in the era of the New Deal during FDR's
time. LaGuardia wanted coal to benefit all of the people and use the government to
actively pursue that goal. Regardless if you choose to agree with coal technology or not,
the people using active government in order to promote progressive actions is taboo for
the Tea Partiers to embrace. Some Tea Party people oppose a minimum wage, Social
Security, public works, and other acts that have enriched the lives of millions of
American citizens. Theodore Roosevelt tried to have his independent Bull Moose party,
but he failed to be President later on. The Tea Party today would of have condemned the
Republicans of yesteryear. Big business took over both major parties now and especially
the Republican Party (some of its biggest supporters supported the Nazi Party decades
ago like Prescott Bush). By the 1960's, the Republicans became more reactionary. Many
Republicans voted for more civil rights legislation (along with Democrats like JFK, RFK,
Hubert Humphrey, and LBJ), but some of the Dixiecrat Democrats & pro-segregationists
came into the Republicans with open arms by the mid to late 1960's. Hubert Humphrey
as far back as 1948 called for civil rights legislation. He said that back then that all
humans are equal and ought to have equal rights including African Americans.
In 1967, he said these accurate words:
"What do we want for people? Human dignity, personal expression and fulfillment,
justice, freedom."
"Equality means equality for all no exceptions, no 'yes, buts', no asterisked footnotes
imposing limits."
"Be clear where America stands. Human brotherhood and equal opportunity for every
man, woman, and child, we are committed to it, in America and around the world."
Humphrey said in 1976 that:
"The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the
children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow
of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
Private power should never be stronger than the democratic state since that's basically
fascism (or the ownership of the government by a select few of corporate interests).
Times have changed over 150 years after the beginning of the Civil War. We see the Tea
Party and the Young Guns in full effect today. Both major parties have had their share of
men and women of high moral character. On the one hand, some of these people are of
very low moral character. This reality occurs today. This is why we should promote the
interests of the poor and all peoples not the privileged rich elite. For it's better to help
the neighbor than to exploit or oppress the neighbor. Even Micah 6:8-12 condemned the
corruption of the rich elite. Isaiah 58:1-10 said that we should clothe people and help
people suffering in the world. Reactionaries say that this is the individuals'
responsibilities not the state. Yet, the government is created by individuals and the
people. It's made up of people and the government (as made up of the people) helping the
people is not evil nor a vice. It's a function of compassion and it's even mentioned in the
Constitution (as found in Article I, Section 8). If progressive efforts to improve human
standard of living are bad then why do European nations have equal or better HDL (and
standard of living levels) than the USA (like Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, the
Netherlands, etc.). It's very hypocritical for those of reaction to say nothing on the
government sending mail, building roads, having a military, preventing fires, having
national parks, etc. and then say that any other government intervention is equivalent to
socialism. The red baiting is old and tired. For their ilk (or the neo cons, etc.) to claim
some intellectual superiority over people like me, they sure advocate some archaic,
unintelligent views.
Now, the old lie that President John F. Kennedy was some war mongering extremist has
been refuted. By 1963, JFK woke up a great deal. He even called for world peace as
well. Noam Chomsky made the error that JFK wanted some super military response
against the nation of Vietnam. It's now confirmed that President Kennedy had a policy to
withdraw military troops from Vietnam. The Assassination Records and Review Board
confirmed that JFK wanted a withdrawal plan from Vietnam. These new documents were
released by the ARRB on December 22, 1997. Within days, the New York Times
headlined a story with, Kennedy Had a Plan for Early Exit in Vietnam. The Associated
Press story read, New Documents Hint that JFK Wanted U.S. out of Vietnam. The
Philadelphia Inquirer story was bannered, Papers support theory that Kennedy had
plans for a Vietnam pullout. Scholars like Howard Jones, David Kaiser, and Gordon
Goldstein wrote new books about how President John F. Kennedy didn't want a massive
military buildup in Vietnam at all. President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines
Johnson had differing views of the war. Now, Chomsky wants to portray Kennedy as a
war monger towards the nation of Cuba. We live after 50 years of the Cuban Missile
Crisis. The truth is that President John F. Kennedy was firm, but he never believed in an
all-out invasion of Cuba during the crisis. President John F. Kennedy instituted a
blockade to prevent Soviet supplies from coming into and leaving the island of Cuba. He
supported the withdrawal of the American Jupiter missiles from Turkey in exchange for
the Russian withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba. Even then Vice President Lyndon
Johnson rejected that end. According to a pro-Johnson biographer Bob Caro's "The
Passage of Power," LBJ was more militant in tone and confrontation in approaching the
Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy had a more level headed and dovish approach during the
debates of November 1961 on the question on whether to send combat troops into
Vietnam. Also, Chomsky omits that the CIA did unauthorized actions against places even
beyond the President's authority during the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. During the
crisis, CIA officer William Harveya man who despised the Kennedyssecretly
dispatched several teams of Cuban exile paratroopers onto the island. JFK was angry at
Harvey for doing this. Harvey's CIA career was over after that incident. The CIA's
autonomous actions without JFK's approval are proven in Hancock's book and Jim
Douglass' "JFK and the Unspeakable." Chomsky writes that there was a plot to
assassinate Castro in 1963, but it wasn't organized by the Kennedys at all. It was called
the AM/LASH plot. The CIA deliberately kept it secret from JFK since they knew he
would not approve it. Chomsky cannot admit this, even though its true, because it again
shows the CIA and Kennedy at cross-purposes. Even Operation Mongoose ended on
November 29, 1962 at an NSC meeting of that day. In the final analysis, President John
F. Kennedy wanted to end tensions with Cuba and even possibly normalize relations with
Cuba. President John F. Kennedy evolved from a traditional Cold Warrior to a more
progressive, pro-peace President. We weren't the same since 1963 and we definitely
weren't the same since 1968. Many leaders who called for change and peace in the 1960's
were assassinated by extremists basically. Today, we still have heroes of every
background that are fighting against imperialism, fighting for peace, and fighting for
equality. Our job is still the same though. It's to inspire humanity and to be active to
fight for revolutionary change in the world pointedly.
Malcolm X was murdered on February 21, 1965. He was about to give an address to a
rally in Harlem about the OAAU or the Organization for Afro-American Unity. The
establishment was threatened of his views. He was under surveillance by the FBI and the
CIA. His revolutionary views certainly inspire those of us of every background, because
it is right to be militant not passive toward any evil or injustice that plagues world
society. His assassination inspired Bobby Seale to co-establish the Black Panther Party
for Self Defense with Huey Newton. Malcolm X and other male and female leaders
represented the social and intellectual voice of the black liberation struggle.
Internationally, human beings all over the world fought against police brutality, poverty,
and prejudice. The reactionaries hated Malcolm X, but one of Malcolm X's greatest gifts
was that he disagreed with the reformist Democratic Party. The reason is that the
Democrats try to act liberal on a lot of occasions, but they still are of the system. They
still activate the interests of big business to put it in laymen terms. For example, The
Democrats instituted welfare reform, Bush-lite foreign policy, and NAFTA. They are just
as wrong as the Republicans are on some issues. That is why I am not a Republican or a
Democrat. I am an Independent from a political standpoint. Revolutionary ideologies not
token efforts are necessary in an imperfect land. Malcolm X understood that the current
system had to be overthrown in order for the oppressed to end the rule of the oppressor.
Malcolm X was a pan African nationalist, but he didn't accept capitalism. Even today,
many sincere black nationalists want to worship capitalism, but no economic philosophy
is perfect. An economic system that says that top wealthiest should own almost half of
the worlds wealth is wrong. As Malcolm X said, Africans must use an economic system
beneficial to Africans. Malcolm X wanted more conscious action, especially political
action as a means to meet the needs of black African Americans. For example, grassroots
voter drives, community development programs, fights against poverty, centers to teach
real African culture including African history, etc. are superior methods of solving
problems than just a speech. Although, there is nothing wrong with giving an excellent,
inspiring speech to the people, so I want to make that perfectly clear. That is why
Malcolm X said the following words: "separation back to Africa is a long term
program and while it is yet to materialize 22 million of our people who are still here in
America need better food, clothing, housing and jobs right now...Now that I have more
independence of action, I intend to use a more flexible approach toward working with
others to get a solution to this problem." Malcolm X later wanted to work with any civil
rights organization that was genuinely dedicated to establish concrete results to assist the
human race in general. The civil rights movement is still here in the 21st century. It still
continues after the era of the 1950's to the early 1970's.
There is a strong black African tie to Christianity indeed. Origen (or the old early
Christian writer & scholar) wrote long ago that it doesn't make a difference if a person
was born Hebrew, Greek, Ethiopian, Scythian, or Taurian, all human beings are created
equal and alike (as being created from God). Philip the Evangelist baptized the minister
of the Ethiopian Queen. In the early church, black people were treated equally in many
places until later on. The infiltrators and other evil individuals distorted original
Christianity and spirituality in general as a means to promote discrimination and bigotry.
We should be better than that and advance equality, justice, and spiritual growth for the
human race. According to Dr. John Mbiti's book entitled, "The Early Church in
Africa," the message of Jesus Christ penetrated Africa before it ever reached into Europe.
Even Jesus was in Africa for a temporary period of time before he came into Israel for
long years. In fact the conversion of the Ethiopian man as described in the Book of Acts
predates the apostle Paul's first missionary journey into Europe by a couple of years.
Christianity has over a million Christians by the year of 300 A.D. inside of Egypt. The
Nubian Kingdoms accepted Christianity heavily before Islam came on the scene. The
Egyptian Coptic Church in the Sudan and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church still exist
today. Though persecuted, their presence is testimony to the historicity of Christianity in
Africa. King Azana made Christianity the official religion of the Kingdom of Aksum. As
we know, the Kingdom of Aksum was in a region where there were major international
trade routes through the Red Sea between India, the rest of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula,
and the ancient Roman Empire. There is growing evidence that the long-standing
presence of Christianity in the Nile Valley and in present-day Ethiopia provided a base
for the introduction of Christianity in Southern and Western Africa. The oppressor uses
Christianity as a means to dominate human beings in an evil fashion. More progressive or
an African centered reading of Christianity is utilized as a means to uplift those of black
African descent and the entire human race in general. Jesus Christ was a revolutionary
since he disagreed with many of the dictates of the Roman Empire. He called on a rich
man to give up all of their wealth to help the poor. He talked about peacemaking. He
disagreed with the nefarious, strident religious elite of his day. These actions are
revolutionary for that time period. I don't believe that Jesus today would be driving the
latest Lexus or Maybach. He wouldn't support the war on terror or the invasion of Libya
including the exploitation of the Congo by the Western powers at all. He would be
opposed to the agenda of the oligarchy. One reason is that the oligarchy has been linked
to harming the poor and the dispossessed along lifes road. Therefore, Christian heritage
in Africa goes back to the days of the Scriptures itself. Many folks like Nat Turner,
Denmark Vessey, AME Church minister Daniel Payne, and Gabriel Prosser were
professing Christians. Now, the big picture is that only Africans can develop Africa
period. So, there is no need to hate all Christians or hate all Muslims. We should believe
in a pan Africanism that allows religious freedom. The reason is that Africa is a
multifaith filled continent. We don't have to agree on every theological point as a
prerequisite to peaceful coexistence. Yet, we should respect the essence of our black
African culture and the essence of true justice for all. Fundamentally, we should use
religion as a means to live righteously, care for the sick, help the poor, stand up
against oppression, promote equality, believe in truth, and treat all human beings
with dignity and with respect. There ought to be a defeat of economic inequality, the
growth of real businesses, and the love for humanity in general irrespective of
background. Wisdom and truth reign supremely in the Universe. So, spirituality is a great
thing when it is expressed in a cogently beautiful fashion.



Appendix A: Dr. Martin Luther Kings Birthday in 2011 & Beyond

Dr. Martin Luther King is one of the famous people in human history. I've learned a lot
from him including other human beings. His dedication to human rights and justice is an
inspiration for us all. His father was the famous Baptist preacher from Georgia named
Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. He was a man that was right to stand up for economic justice
and equality for all peoples in the world. Dr. Martin Luther King lived a very short life
from 1929-1968. Yet, his thorough legacy transpires onward in our time and in the ages
in the future. He is famous for organizing the successful Montgomery, Alabama bus
boycott for opposition against discrimination on the basis of color in America. Dr. Martin
Luther King and other unsung heroes stood up against the status quo to create new laws
to protect voting rights, promote civil rights, and having housing rights for all Americans.
For when states rights are utilized to violate the human rights of people, then protests
are definitely legitimate to incorporate real freedom in our land. One of Dr. King's
greatest contributions to the world was his opposition to the Vietnam War and the
promotion of the Poor People's Campaign. He desired a war on poverty. This resonates
today since we have tent cities, people lack health care now, and other tragedies are
occurring today in America. King wanted the Poor Peoples Campaign to include a
coalition of people of many races (like blacks, whites, Hispanics, Native Americans,
Asians, etc.) to go into Washington, D.C. in order to demand billions of dollars to be
spent in order to fight against poverty. As historian Gerald McKnight observes, King
was proposing nothing less than a radical transformation of the Civil Rights
Movement into a populist crusade calling for redistribution of economic and political
power. Americas only civil rights leader was now focusing on class issues and was
planning to descend on Washington with an army of poor to shake the foundations of the
power structure and force the government to respond to the needs of the ignored
underclass.
King was correct to point out that it's hypocritical to spend billions of dollars in an
unjust war of Vietnam, while people are suffering here in home in dilapidated
homes, etc. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military
defense than on programs of social uplift, said Dr. King, is approaching spiritual doom.
He is right on that point since the Vietnam War wasted the resources needed for the
Great Society programs. Dr. King promoted non-violent resistance as a radical means in
getting done solid resolutions for people. Dr. King was for black power, self
assertiveness, and black businesses to grow throughout the South plus the world. He
opposed imperialism and the cartel-capitalist system (that has been involved in the
international slave trade, globalization, the war on terror, and other nefarious evils in the
world). Dr. Martin Luther King was not a perfect man. We know his mistakes (if Dr. King
did adultery then he was wrong), yet no one is truly perfect. We can't ignore his errors or
the things that he got correct. The reactionaries lie and said that Dr. King was a
Communist when he explicitly condemned Communism as promoting ethical relativism,
promoting a violation of human freedoms, and it doesn't equate real spiritual growth (as
Communism viewed man as just as cog in the wheel of the state). Dr. King even
condemned Communism in TV shows during 1967. Ive seen them on Youtube. Dr. King
mentioned and exposed Communism in these terms:
Let me state clearly the basic premise of this sermon: Communism and Christianity
are fundamentally incompatible. A true Christian cannot be a true Communist, for
the two philosophies are antithetical and all the dialectics of the logicians cannot
reconcile themCold atheism wrapped in the garments of materialism, Communism
provides no place for God or Christ.

At the center of the Christian faith is the affirmation that there is a God in the universe
who is the ground and essence of all reality. A Being of infinite love and boundless
power, God is the creator, sustainer, and conserver of values. In opposition to
Communism's atheistic materialism, Christianity posits a theistic idealism. Reality cannot
be explained by matter in motion or the push and pull of economic forces. Christianity
affirms that at the heart of reality is a Heart, a loving Father who works through history
for the salvation of his children. Man cannot save himself, for man is not the
measure of all things and humanity is not God. Bound by the chains of his own
sin and finiteness, man needs a Savior.

Second, Communism is based on ethical relativism and accepts no stable moral
absolutes. Right and wrong are relative to the most expedient methods for dealing with
class war. Communism exploits the dreadful philosophy that the end justifies the means.
It enunciates movingly the theory of a classless society, but alas! its methods for
achieving this noble end are all too often ignoble. Lying, violence, murder, and torture
are considered to be justifiable means to achieve the millennial end. Is this an unfair
indictment? Listen to the words of Lenin, the real tactician of Communist theory: "We
must be ready to employ trickery, deceit, lawbreaking, withholding and concealing
truth." Modem history has known many tortuous nights and horror-filled days because
his followers have taken this statement seriously.

In contrast to the ethical relativism of Communism, Christianity sets forth a system of
absolute moral values and affirms that God has placed within the very structure of this
universe certain moral principles that are fixed and immutable. The law of love as an
imperative is the norm for all of man's actions. Furthermore, Christianity at its best
refuses to live by a philosophy of ends justifying means. Destructive means cannot
bring constructive ends, because the means represent the-ideal-in-the-making and the-
end-in-progress. Immoral means cannot bring moral ends, for the ends are preexistent
in the means. (How Should A Christian View Communism? By Dr. Martin Luther
King)
What Dr. Martin Luther King did mention that we need individual and collective solutions
to solve our problems, which is true. What we can do is to use his memory to advance
what he got right from opposition to Jim Crow segregation to tolerance & love for your
fellow human beings. You don't have to agree with your neighbor (or me for that matter)
on every single issue, but we should treat our neighbor as ourselves. That's the Golden
rule from Jesus Christ and that's common sense. Dr. Martin Luther King even back then
condemned the problems with our health care system. He said that: Of all the forms
of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.
If you want to fulfill Dr. King's legacy, then we have be comprehensive in our thinking.
We have to fight against poverty, promote equal rights for all peoples, respect the dignity
of labor, have love for true health care reform, endorse real individual liberties, and
oppose the war on terror. King was a particular obsession of FBI Director J. Edgar
Hoover, who had branded him the most dangerous Negro in America, conducting
extensive wiretapping and surveillance against Dr. King. Hoover and his FBI agents
orchestrated hate mail that included death threats against him. Hoover violated the
human rights of people from across the political spectrum via his COINTELPRO
program. J. Edgar Hoover was a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Freemason. Dr. Martin
Luther King would have been moved to action by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision
allowing corporations to be treated as having the same rights of persons. Property,
said Dr. King, is intended to serve life, and no matter how much we surround it with
rights and respect, it has no personal being. It is part of the earth man walks on. It is not
man. King was an intellectual, a philosopher, and he promoted education. Even King
opposed colonialism, materialism, and economic exploitation (which are the
essences of much of the Western mindset even among self proclaimed "wise
people." The people that love this materialism worry about brand named clothing or an
electronic device than the degrading, stereotypical images from the corporate world that
demonize people of color plus all peoples. This reality exists in the illusion of a post-
racial society). Dr. Martin Luther King in his 1967 A Time to Break the Silence speech
in NYs Riverside Church refers to the slums and ghettos of America as a system of
internal colonialism. King said that America is the nation promoting violence in a
pervasive fashion via war. Even when Tavis Smiley brings this up in comparison to
President Barack Obama (who is no Dr. King), he called a hater unfairly. We have to
remind ourselves that Dr. Martin Luther King was definitely radical in his time and radical
today. Dr. Martin Luther King in late 1967 called for peace in his following sermon:
Now let me say that the next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have
peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the
sacredness of all human life. Every man is somebody because he is a child of God. And
so when we say "Thou shalt not kill," we're really saying that human life is too sacred to
be taken on the battlefields of the world. Man is more than a tiny vagary of
whirling electrons or a wisp of smoke from a limitless smoldering. Man is a
child of God, made in His image, and therefore must be respected as such.
Until men see this everywhere, until nations see this everywhere, we will be
fighting wars. One day somebody should remind us that, even though there may be
political and ideological differences between us, the Vietnamese are our brothers, the
Russians are our brothers, the Chinese are our brothers; and one day we've got to sit
down together at the table of brotherhood. But in Christ there is neither Jew nor
Gentile. In Christ there is neither male nor female. In Christ there is neither Communist
nor capitalist. In Christ, somehow, there is neither bound nor free. We are all one in
Christ Jesus. And when we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we
won't exploit people, we won't trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we
won't kill anybodyThen the Greek language has another word for love, and that is the
word "agape." Agape is more than romantic love, it is more than friendship. Agape is
understanding, creative, redemptive good will toward all men. Agape is an overflowing
love which seeks nothing in return. Theologians would say that it is the love of
God operating in the human heart. When you rise to love on this level, you
love all men not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you,
but you love them because God loves them. This is what Jesus meant when he
said, "Love your enemies." And I'm happy that he didn't say, "Like your enemies,"
because there are some people that I find it pretty difficult to like. Liking is an
affectionate emotion, and I can't like anybody who would bomb my home. I can't like
anybody who would exploit me. I can't like anybody who would trample over me with
injustices. I can't like them. I can't like anybody who threatens to kill me day in and day
out. But Jesus reminds us that love is greater than liking. Love is understanding, creative,
redemptive good will toward all men. And I think this is where we are, as a people, in
our struggle for racial justice. We can't ever give up. We must work passionately
and unrelentingly for first-class citizenship. We must never let up in our
determination to remove every vestige of segregation and discrimination from
our nation, but we shall not in the process relinquish our privilege to love
If Dr. King lived in 2011, many Republicans and many Tea Party folks would disagree
with him vehemently on various issues. People like Glen Beck (a man who called
Hurricane Katrina victims scum like a deceiver), Lloyd Marcus (he loves to sing and
dance in Tea Party rallies), and others embrace a historical revisionist version of Dr.
King instead of the real Dr. Martin Luther King (who wanted all wars of aggression to end
and a radical transformation of values to benefit the common man). King was not some
moderate, malleable, person in 1968. He was a strong progressive that desired
progressive actions to build up our standard of living and our fundamental
capabilities of freedom & justice. After 1965, MLK fought hard for economic justice.
This is why he traveled in the South, North, East, and West to find solutions. Dr. Martin
Luther King's views are easy to find and they are documented. Dr. Martin Luther King
just before he died advocated a guaranteed national income to fight against the
crippling evil of poverty in America. Even Dr. King would respect President Barack
Obama's intellect and contributions to society, but he would even disagree with some of
his policies. Yet, I am not a reactionary person. Some of the reactionaries believe in
slandering President Barack Obama though (as being a socialist, a fascist, or not a real
American citizen). On the other hand, criticizing President Obama on real matters like
the Federal Reserve, attacks in Pakistan, his promotion of the anti-liberty DHS, and
other points are fine. Dr. King would oppose Wall Street's consumption of American
infrastructure. He would oppose the current prison system with its 3 strikes laws and
mass incarceration of people, especially black people. In early 1968, King declared: It
is incontestable and deplorable that Negroes have committed crimes; but they are
derivative crimes. They are born of the greater crimes of the white society. Could
you imagine a person saying these comments today publicly in the USA in 2011?
King stated, we must use every constructive means to amass economic and political
power. This is the kind of legitimate power we need. We must work to build racial pride
and refute the notion that [B]lack is evil and ugly. Dr. King predicted the rise of the
reactionaries form 1968 to the present (like Nixon and Reagan. Both men believed in
fiscal conservatism, color blindness, and an exploitation of the real meaning of personal
responsibility to scapegoat the poor. Many poor people exist not because of laziness or
bad morals, but because of systemic forces that cause poverty in the first place). He
said that: For a period a movement may follow a straight line and then it
encounters obstacles and the path bends.we are encountering such a period
today. The inevitable counterrevolution that succeeds every period of progress is
taking place.








God is interested in the freedom of the whole human race, the creation of a
society where all men will live together as brothers. I think with all of these
challenges being met and with all of the work, and determination going on, we
will be able to go this additional distance and achieve the ideal, the goal of the
new age, the age of social justice
- Dr. Martin Luther Kings speech in 1963 at the Western Michigan University

If Dr. Martin Luther King was alive today, he might have been treated by the media
worse than Rev. Jeremiah Wright was. Rev. Wright was only criticized for a few months.
By 1968, most of the establishment (even some black establishment figures) shunned
King as rocking the boat too much. In our time in 2011, we have to oppose this evil,
unjust war on terror costing trillions of dollars with hundreds of military bases worldwide.
We should call for a real war on poverty to help the poor. We should call for the
rebuilding of our education and health services. Dr. Martin Luther King was reportedly
also called on to have an independent presidential campaign focused on the issues of
war and social justice. No one can be Dr. King, but we should be ourselves and be our
own leaders in our communities. We are not in the Promised Land yet. We are still
fighting the walls of Jericho in the border of the Promised Land. We left Egypt, and we
are in the Joshua Generation morally and spiritually. King said that we need a radical
redistribution of economic and political power to handle our affairs. When you see record
wealth by the super rich and record poverty in the world, there is nothing wrong with
ending economic injustices. Civil rights reforms without economic reforms will cause
issues for us. If Dr. King was alive in 2011, things could be better since Dr. King
would put extreme pressure on society to make real changes. He wouldn't be the
type to quit using his intellect and eloquent words. Should we be Republicans or
Democrats? Both parties have had their history of evil. That is why I am an Independent.
As for you, you will have to make up that decision for yourself. Regardless of what party
youre in, dont sellout your people or the truth. I would advise people to be an
Independent. No political philosophy is God. God is God.
Now you know why Ive mention this political inquiry. The reason is that many
Republicans and reactionaries (that slurred and slandered King ironically in the 1960s)
are now claiming that Dr. Martin Luther King was a registered Republican. This claim is
promoted by the NBRA group or the National Black Republican Association (which is
funded by the corporate Heritage Foundation). The reality is that King biographer Taylor
Branch found no evidence of King of being registered back in 1956. King did vote for
Eisenhower in that year though. Furthermore, King said the Southern Christian
Leadership Council would "not blindly support any party that refuses to take a
forthright stand on the question of civil rights," which, at the time, meant both of
them. In 1960, Dr. King voted for John F. Kennedy and in 1964, he voted for Lyndon
Baines Johnson. He heavily criticized Barry Goldwater for his libertarian views on civil
rights. If King was a real Republican, he wouldnt have criticized Goldwater, but he did.
King said that that he: out to get rid of Goldwater-ism in this nation." Toward
the end of his life, King worked closely with Robert Kennedy, who was planning to
run for president. His closest aides still say that had King lived a little longer in 1968,
he would have endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time. Dr. Martin Luther King
by the time he died would have disagreed with some of the NBRAs & the Tea Partys
platform since King was a progressive. The historical record ought to be made in an
accurate fashion without false rhetoric or blatantly deceptive tactics. Its hilarious that
those of reaction would try to usurp the legacy of Dr. King when Dr. King plainly said in
the 1960s that: "Jesus [is] the world's most famous liberal." Rush Limbaugh, Glen
Beck, Michelle Bachmann, Karl Rove, Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Bill OReilly, Sean
Hannity, Michael Savage, and others would disagree with these words.
I cant embrace a philosophy that allows the rich to get richer and the poor to be poorer.
Dr. Martin Luther King was a key black leader that could affect public policy greater than
some politicians. If you want to be a leader, then you have to maintain your core
convictions without compromise (and not be intimidated by bullying, red-baiting, or poor
scapegoating propaganda). It is not immoral to call for wealth and power to be given
fairly and evenly among all of its peoples. There has to be balance, rational
thinking, and peace in our lives. True concern for the disadvantaged (and all classes
of people. All human beings are created equal with equal value. They should have
basic human rights without exception among all backgrounds) is one key to
happiness. Giant corporations should be held in check via governmental power. I dont
agree with forcing my views on others, but I have the right to peacefully express my view
and call for reforms in society. You have every right to use resources or tools if you
want to protect yourself themselves and your families. You have that right to be a
freeman not a Freemason. Why do you think the Huguenots (for French
Protestants) left Europe for America? Why do you think blacks used riflemen to
guard civil rights workers? Why do you think the Gullah lead real rebellions
against imperialists back in the 1800s in South Carolina? They werent playing
games or tidally wink. They understood that individual rights of self preservation
come with tactics to be done to ensure our rights. Having religious liberty rights
are important to maintain too. Dr. Dr. Kings public support of armed liberation struggles
in Africa and Asia in his own words:

These are revolutionary times. All over the globe men are revolting against old
systems of exploitation and oppression and out of the wombs of a frail world new systems
of justice and equality are being born. The shirtless and barefoot people of the world
are rising up as never before. We in the West must support these revolutions
(King speech, Beyond Vietnam, 4/4/67). Even King mentioned that:


I contended that the debate over the question of self-defense was unnecessary since
few people suggested that Negroes should not defend themselves as individuals when
attacked. The question was not whether one should use his gun when his home was
attacked, but whether it was tactically wise to use a gun while participating in an
organized demonstration (Where Do We Go, p. 27). These words are against the
mainstream, guarded Dr. Martin Luther King.
King wanted a revolution of values in his own words too:
We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values when machines and
computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than
people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being
conquered. Martin Luther King on April 4, 1967



When you get older, you see the truth more clearly. The truth is that non-cooperation is
evil is as much a necessity as cooperation with good. Many of our great leaders woke up
a great deal before they died. Dr. Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and
even WEB Dubois in some measure woke up to the fact that radical action on the part of
black Africans is vital in forming a better world society. Dr. Martin Luther King even
before he was assassinated wanted the growth of black economic power (and the
boycotts or withdrawal of economic support toward companies that harmed or exploited
the needs of the black community). He said these words in numerous speeches.
Numerous unsung heroes in America and throughout made huge impacts additionally in
establishing institutions to assist the poor plus people of color. Therefore, a human has
every right and every justification to utilize all determined means possible to abolish
oppression, discrimination, and bigotry in all of its dimensions. Therefore, a person has
the right to oppose unjust laws. The method of opposing evil force with just action is a
preeminently vital method in achieving reforms. Nonviolence is definitely morally
superior to violence in its composition, but I do believe in executing self defense when
necessary. There is no way we in America can get this thing right except if there are
radical political, economic, and social changes in the country (where the poor are
receiving justice and the materialism plus greed is condemned). We should live in a
nation where unjust wars and drone attacks are historic memories. Even Dr. King said in
1967 that he would fight the Nazis during World War II, because of Hitlers brutal actions
against innocent human beings. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with power if its used
correctly by human beings. Yet, if power is unevenly controlled by the 1%, then that
reality leads into economic disparities, economic exploitation, and a false presentation of
a more tranquil atmosphere. The atmosphere is tainted when you have record profits
and tax breaks by numerous transnational corporations. We have a problem in America,
because power is unevenly distributed causing hard ache and suffering among a huge
portion of the populace. Even Dr. Martin Luther King agreed with the major Black Power
goals of Kwame Ture and McKissick (with only the difference of semantics). Its really
clear that a colonialist is a colonialist. The modern day colonialists dont just exist in the
reactionary Republican Party. Also, they exist in the fox ridden Democratic Party as well.
Both parties are heavily funded by Wall Street and each party refuses to even have a
single payer health care system that can benefit millions of Americans. Similar plans
have worked worldwide. We know about Dr. King and Nkrumah. We know that before
the CIA coup in February 24, 1966, Nkrumah wanted to go into Hanoi to present a
proposal to end the U.S. imperialist war in Vietnam. Dr. King went into Ghana to
celebrate Ghanas independence. Seku Ture is another black liberator as well. Kwame
Ture spent the last 31 years of his natural life residing, studying and waging struggle in
Guinee. Kwame Tures invitation to live in Guinea, came from none other than Seku
Ture and Kwame Nkrumah. It is also important to give credit to many strong black sisters
doing their part then and now in 2012 fighting for real black liberation. Shirley Graham
Dubois lived in Guinea. Dr. Dorothy Height worked hard for womens rights. Assata
Shakur is in Cuba now fighting for real justice and even Mahalia Jackson inspired
Dr. Martin Luther King to share his dream (when she already heard him said it
publicly). The revolutionary singer Miriam Makeba married Kwame Ture for a time.
Miriam Makeda fought for the interests of South Africans and all Africans in the world
from the time of her birth to her passing away.
In our generation, we have that chance to fight against materialism, poverty, hunger,
more effectively than in times past. We have no excuses now to find the truth. We have
the Internet, cell phones, Wi Fi, Wikipedia, text messaging, and other complex forms of
21
st
century technology. For God is always just to forgive us and we ought to evermore
promote real liberty now and forever.
People like me are waking up daily. I look forward a better future and I have hope.





Appendix A: 50 Years after Freedom Summer (1964-2014)
We have to learn about such events. Freedom Summer was about the collaboration
among many groups to end legal apartheid and voting rights discrimination in America,
especially in the Deep South (in states like Mississippi). It was a movement that opposed
the agenda of white supremacy. It wanted revolutionary democratic power to be in the
hands of the people. One great lesson from Freedom Summer dealt with the actions
from SNCC and MFDP. The MFDP was created, because the Democratic Party in
Mississippi was racist and denied black people the right to vote or to have basic human
rights. SNCC and MFDP stood up the Democratic establishment when that
establishment offered them a token compromise during the 1964 National Democratic
Convention. The compromise was about the Democrats offering MFDP two at-large
seats and the entire Dixiecrat delegation would be seated too. SNCC and MFDP rejected
the deal outright. They were right to do that. SNCC wanted liberation, they soon
believed in self-defense, and they became even more militant than the SCLC. SNCCs
great value was that it broke away the psychological shackles that many black people
had in relations to the vicious power structure. SNCC gave confidence to many black
people. SNCC encouraged independent thinking in our people. SNCC courageously
opposed the Vietnam War and they allied with Malcolm X as well.
SNCC was the bridge between old school civil rights leaders and the Black Power
Movement (with groups like the Black Panthers, etc.). During Freedom Summer, a lot of
courageous human beings died for the cause of freedom and justice. We have to
acknowledge the fact that people shed blood in order for us to be blessed to live during
this age. Another lesson that we can learn from Freedom Summer was that it used
grassroots educational programs to help the people. Many of the tactics that they used
back then are some of the same tactics that we can utilize today. The reason is that we
still face economic injustice, educational complications, and other issues. Yes, we still
have to fight laws that restrict the voting rights of human beings today. The Voting
Rights Act ought to be totally defended as Sister Angela Rye has accurately said. We
have a lot of work to do. *Yes, Fannie Lou Hamer was a great organizer of Freedom
Summer too. Ella Baker, James Forman, Kwame Ture, John Lewis, and Robert Moses are
some of the many heroes of SNCC. We want social justice and we want black people to
be fully free. There have been many who have not heard of the words or actions of
SNCC. Kwame Ture (who loved Africa. One of his gifts was that he wanted us to have
solidarity with Africans globally. We love Africa too. Kwame Ture's mentor was Dr. King)
and Brown opposed imperialism. They were right to disagree with the Vietnam War.
Also, the value of SNCC was that they advocated courageousness and a revolutionary
spirit. I have heard many of Kwame Tures speeches before. It is rare for people in this
generation to say the words that he has said in public.
Dr. King admired the strength of Kwame Ture and Brown, even though Dr. King was in
favor of nonviolent resistance. So, Dr. King and Kwame Ture were great friends. SNCC
did the positive thing of inspiring Dr. King to be more militant and he became more
militant overtly by 1967. More Brothers and Sisters need to know this information about
our real history. All people are entitled to justice. Our people never stood down in the
midst of oppression. In every era of American history, black people fought for their
rights that should have been ours by birthright.

RIP James Earl Chaney, Andrew
Goodman, and Michael Schwerner
By Timothy