By Angela Bronner, BlackVoices.com
On a blustery but sunny winter day, my family -- fiance, daughter, cousin and newborn son, all trekked to the Martin Luther King Center -- three days before what would have been his 79th birthday.
MLK Day 2008
- MLK Day 2008
In the Continuum
On January 11, 1990, Coretta Scott King unveiled the Behold Monument at the King Center. Sculptor Patrick Morelli was inspired by the ancient African ritual of lifting a newborn child to the heavens and reciting the words ''Behold the only thing greater than yourself.'' And so Kyle holds up son Jabril up at this historic place. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
Final Resting Place
In 1970, Dr. King's remains were taken from Southview Cemetary and moved to the King Center to be entombed. His wife, Coretta, joined him there at her death in 2006. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
The Great Soul
Ayaana, who was already familiar with Mahatma Gandhi through school, learned at the King Center that ''Mahatma'' was not Gandhi's given name but a title, meaning ''Great Soul.'' King was influenced by Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
Man of the Cloth
Dr. King's pastoral robes hang in the King Center, as does his tattered, well worn Bible (not in photo). There are also many personal photos of King and his family. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
Eyes on the Prize
Ayaana, 11, gazes at the many artifacts held in the King Center, including Dr. King's Bible, his jeans, cufflinks and bottles of his favorite cologne, Aramis. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
Ebenezer Baptist Church
The original Ebenezer Baptist Church (adjacent to the King Center) was the site of many of the Civil Rights Movement's strategy sessions and headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Ebenezer was the church home of Dr. King -- where he was baptized and had his funeral. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
The Eternal Flame
Much in the same way John F. Kennedy's eternal flame burns at Arlington National Cemetary, Dr. King's eternal flame burns at the King Center, symbolizing the the continuing effort to realize Dr. King's ideals. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL - MLK Day 2008
Respect Due
Angela, Ayaana and Pam stand before the grave site of one of the greatest leaders and thinkers of our time. Courtesy Angela Bronner, AOL
Though we were in Atlanta primarily so that Kyle's grandmother (94) could see her newest great-grandbaby, I felt that we couldn't leave the city without paying respect to Martin Luther King -- not just an important African American, but one of the most important Americans of our day -- the only American of the 20th Century, in fact, to have a national holiday named for him.
Dr. King's life was a lesson in courage – something I didn't want lost on my children.
King had not only the courage to literally walk into the face of ferocious opposition (and the discipline to practice nonviolence in the face of its opposite), but the fortitude to continue through what I can only imagine were some dark nights.
How DARE Martin King try to change the world? But dare he did. King had the courage to challenge the status quo.
I told my 11-year-old daughter as we were leaving the Center, "Everyone wants to ride Dr. King's coattails now, but when he was alive, he was marginalized by many people – even black people."
What I wanted to get through to her in saying that was that sometimes it's not popular to do the right thing, but righteousness always bears out. Speaking truth to power is never easy, but it is infinitely worth it.
And yet, leaving the King Center and walking back to our car, we saw an African American woman rummaging through the garbage can. She asked us for change, asked us where we were from.
"New York."
"I have family in Queens," she said. "Haven't seen them in a long time."
I shook my head in the irony of it all. Dr. King fought as much against poverty as for racial equality but this woman bore witness that we still have some way to go.
This thoughtful Southerner said it best: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
King was a principled man whose philosophy today is increasingly being drowned out by the din of cheap media, the dogged pursuit of money, rampant materialism and stark individualism. And yet, his message is still there, like an echo of an old Negro spiritual; it is still there if we choose to hear it.
And pass it along to the next generation of courageous souls.
The King Center
http://www.thekingcenter.org/
+ Work to Begin in Spring on King Monument
+ Remembering King's Final Birthday
1. I bow my head to Martin Luther King Jr. and all the people that participated in the Civil Rights Movement.
MLK is a great American legend. I love him and all that he stood for. He was noble and courageous.
Now we have new new legend in the making -- Barack Obama. The torch has been passed to a new generation.
As Black Americans, this is our chance to stand behind a candidate that has integrity, capability, and respect -- Barack Obama.
I am a Black woman who strongly supports Barack Obama because he believes in unity and getting things done for the American people. He is honest and hardworking.
As Black people, we must stand behind Barack Obama and cast our votes for him. Barack is an excellent role model and man of principle. We are blessed to have him running for president.
PLEASE vote for Barack Obama -- let's get a man in the Oval Office that will do justice to his job and work not only Blacks, but all Amricans as well.
We need Barack Obama!
Check out my work at home jobs site:
http://www.jobs-from-home.com
Andrea at 11:57AM on Jan 15th 2008