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Every good thing has its unintended consequences. One of those is the commercialization of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and the very successful attempt to whitewash the memory of Martin Luther King, by focusing only on the speeches and actions that do not criticize Capitalism or US Imperialism. Here’s one speech that is often overlooked by mainstream media sources. . . . → Read More: Martin Luther King Explains the Three Evils of Society  One comment - (Comments are closed)  Art & Culture, National Issues  Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Jr Day, MLK whitewashing
“Again we have diluted ourselves into believing the myth that Capitalism grew and prospered out of the protestant ethic of hard word and sacrifice, the fact is that Capitalism was built on the exploitation and suffering of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor both black and white, both here and abroad.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from The Three Evils of White American Society. . . . → Read More: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Other Speeches 
On an early morning in the third week of June we packed a mixer, a pair of speakers, a microphone, and five mini-synthesizers into our car. We were on 270 heading west as the sun came up. By late afternoon we’d reached Detroit. We went there to participate in the Allied Media Conference and to present Beat Club, a digital music workshop that travels to neighborhood libraries and community centers in the DC area. On Friday we set up our gear in a classroom in the Education building of Wayne State University. People began coming through the door. They headed for the seats but I invited them to stand around the table. As I demonstrated how to play the instruments, more people came in and joined the group. Everyone took a turn playing. Pretty soon a beat was going, bass lines were squealching, chords and notes began to come together. Grouped around their instruments, people laughed and encouraged each other. Freestyle raps began flying. Like any good party, it got too loud and after about half an hour we began receiving complaints about the noise from neighboring classrooms. The next morning the streets around the campus were filled with marchers marking the 5oth anniversary of Martin Luther King’s 1963 march in Detroit. We set up at the campus conference center in a room designated as a play area for kids. Over several hours all sorts of people- kids, teens, adults – came by to play and ask questions. Parents snapped pictures of their kids making music. Eventually a nice man who was leading a session next door came over to ask me to turn the volume down. I mixed down the recording from our Friday session and brought it to the temporary radio station set up for the conference so it could be broadcast. They were interviewing Quese IMC (who later hosted a great session). We left the next day, grateful to have met so many good people, both at the conference and in the city of Detroit. Watch a vine of Beat Club at AMC2013 or listen to the recording
According to Thomas Jefferson, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. I’m not a big fan of Jefferson, but he may have had a point. So, what should we be holding vigil over in order to secure our liberty? How about a seat at the table when the city decides to “redevelop” a long-standing public housing complex like Barry Farm? Unfortunately, at the June 25, 2013 meeting held by the DC Housing Authority to introduce the companies competing to redevelop Barry Farm Dwellings, only “confirmed” residents were allowed to attend. In other words, none of those pesky advocacy organizations like Barry Farm Tenants and Allies Association or Empower DC, who are trying to keep Barry Farm residents from being permanently displaced once the renovations are underway, as has happened to so many other former public housing residents. According to Rick White, Director of Public Affairs & Communications for the DC Housing Authority, press was welcome to “cover the event” but would not be “permitted to attend the business meeting.” Would Jefferson have objected to excluding the public and the press from a meeting to plan how public funds will be used to redevelop public property? As a proponent of a free press, I think maybe yes. And so should we all. What else should we be holding vigil over? Hm? I don’t know, maybe voting rights. As a slaveholder, Jefferson might not have objected to the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But as Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts says, “times have changed.” So perhaps, the right of the descendants of slaves to have access to the ballot is something that we should be holding onto. I know plenty of folks who don’t vote and don’t think it matters. I don’t agree but I understand their frustration. Take for example the sanitation workers of Memphis, Tennessee. Conditions for sanitation workers in Memphis today are surprisingly similar to conditions in the 1960’s. The city is threatening to privatize their jobs, workers are not earning a living wage, and working conditions are hazardous and unsafe. The video below (produced by AFSCME’s Amy Hendricks) shows that they are still struggling for the same rights that Martin Luther King Jr., came to Memphis to help them win before he was gunned down. <em The voting rights that King and so many others fought and died for did not win the sanitation workers the liberty they deserve. Yet, one has to wonder how much worse things would have been for them and for the rest of us without the right to vote, which until yesterday, many of us took for granted. Perhaps we’ll find out. In the meantime, we should do whatever we can to hold public officials accountable. |
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