Page 2. Portland Observer, January 14, 1987
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Leadership Family Plan
W rillrn ht. : Judy H. Hulnm
As Black Am ericans. we have come to realize that
and demand also an economic b ill o l rights. Ih c econom
ic bill ot lights w ould specifically address decent adequate
sional Black C aucus' to p p rio rity list. The Congressional
Black Caucus advocates organizing and supporting Black
institutions by co n trib u tin g funds. Establishing and
m aintaining Black financial institutions is an off-shoot o f
M a rtin L u th e r K in g ’ s cry fo r an economic b ill o f nghts.
Internationally, D r. King was a most astute states
man. H e saw him self as a "citize n o f the w o rld " and ex
pressed the need fo r international support fo r human and
economic rights. A n d , the Congressional Black Caucus
agreed. They, to o , espoused this necessity fo r interna
tional tcchnokigical and financial support to o u r Black
passive submission and grow ing a new skin o f a more sisters and brothers in A fric a and the (a n b b e a n co u n
tries Ihc Caucus' plan ot action calling lor the welfare,
direct act Kin w ith a plan.
protection,
and security o f the Black com m unity is
Ih c Congressional Black Caucus accepted the
similar
phikisophically
to Reverend K in g ’s position on
challenge o f Ossie Davis
a plan o f action fo r active in
volvement and participation o f Black Americans' active civil disobedience.
jobs w ith equal pay fo r equal w o rk. " I h e y arc w orking
involvement and participation. By no coincidence, M a r
on lu ll nine jobs for part-tim e pay” . Consequently, what
tin Lu th e r King, Jr.'s direct action campaign and the
Congressional Black Caucus' plan o f action arc closely
interrelated. A n d it is the final step in M a rtin I uther
Appeals to m orality were expressed, to no avail. N u m e r
ous civil rights court cases regulating and enforcing equal
housing, health, education and em ployment o p p o rtu n
ities have been judicially and legislatively circumvented.
Negotiations having failed. Black Am ericans found
themselves in a very sensitive and soul-searching juncture
in their psychological history.
S elf-purification fo r the Black Am erican meant the
purging o f self hatred, the in fe rio rity complex syndrome,
and a "degenerating sense o f 'n o b od u ie ss'” . Self p u rifi
cation to the Black Am erican meant shedding the skin o f
are victim s o f many broken promises. Ihese promises
have endured postponem ent after postponement. We
base wiuted to r m ore than M t) years fo r our co n stitu tio n
al and hum an rights. Impatience is short-fused. Nobel
Peace Prize awardee M a rtin I uther King, Jr. declared.
" Ih e r e w ill be neither rest nor tra n q u ility in Am erica
u n til the Negro is granted her/his citizenship rig h ts".
Ihese ‘citizenship rights* have been defined as fu ll
voting lights, equal em ployment opportunities, quality
education, desegregated housing accomm odations, and
equal justice fin a n c ia l cutbacks in education, health,
housing, and Libor increase the possibility o f re-enslavc-
ac
niciii Reverend King believed that Blacks had to devekip
evolved was a threefold b ill o f rights concept encompass
ing hum an, constitutional, and economic rights. Ih c
Black b ill o f rights was cham pioned.
Over fifteen years ago, M a rtin Lu th e r King, Jr. dc-
King's fo u r point nonviolent campaign that we find a c o r
relation w ith ihc Congressional BLick Caucus' "O p e ra
tio n Instructions, A c tio n A lert C om m unication N et
w o rk, and the Four P oint P lan” .
Reverend King gave an almost om inous warning when
he asserted that nonviolent direct action "b rin g s to the
surface hidden tensions and hidden agendas that already
exist” .
As we examine the Caucus’ Black I eadcrsliip Fam
vclopcd a fo u r step nonviolent campaign which is the c o r
nerstone to the Congressional Black Caucus' "B la c k
I eadcrsliip I aim ly P lan” . Dr. King outlined his non
violent campaign in to fo u r categories: C ollection o f the
tacts to determine whether injustices exist, N egotiation,
Sell P u rifica tio n, and Direct A ctio n . It is D r. K ing’ scarn-
p.ugn for Direct A ctio n that p ro fo u n d ly illuminates the
I summing the history ot the Iw entieth (e n tu ry
I iiitcd States civil rights relationship between black and
w hile Ameiicans, we aie able to record and substantiate
(lie tacts that determine the legal and illegal injustices
inflicted ujioii Black men and women Once we gathered
and dociniH’iited cruel, unusual, and unrelenting racial
peiseculions and pn»secutions. the nest step was to sit
down and negotiate Black leaders spent many .hours,
nioiilhs. and years negotiating lor rights not tor
privileges We negotiated nonvintently through the legis
lative judicial, and executive blanches ot government
inevitably open the d o o r to negotiation” and provide an
o p p o rtu n ity so that " a ll o f us can play a m eaningful
p a rt" .
Voter registration and voting were to p priorities o f
M a rtin I uther King, Jr. They still dom inate the Congres
plan for Black America's active involvement. Ihc Con
gressional Black Caucus developed its
A . Black I eadership Family Plan
B. Four P oint A c tio n Plan
C A ct Kin C om m ittee Plan
D . Desegregation Plan
4. The Congressional Black Caucus' O peration Inst rue
lions. A ctio n A lert C om m unication N e tw o rk, and the
Four Point Plan are very much like M a rtin I uther King's
A . Direct A ctio n
B. From The M o u n la in to p
C. A ctio n C om m ittee
Ihc legacy M artin Luther King, Jr has passed on
D. Civil Disobedience
to Black Americans is still very evident in our Black
political structure Ihc Congressional Black Caucus' C O M P L E T IO N H l L INs
Black Leadership Family f’kin is built on a solid King 1. List the categories M artin Luther King outlined in his
foundation in an effort to rebuild Black America s sense fo u r step nonviolent campaign.
of "somebodiness"
2. M artin Luther King, Jr. proposed a h ill o f rights
Writicn by Judy R Wakon which involved three critical issues. They are
and ______ .
3. Self-purification f o r the Mack woman and man means
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’s
LEGACY
purging oneself o t
.
.a n d
4. When Reverend King died, he left us his
as a
foundation f o r the survival o f the Black fa m ily and com
munity.
ily Plan, we note that the “ plan o f a ctio n ” fo r "B la c k
MULTIPLE CHOICE
unity, survival, and progress" underscores similar King 1. The King k-gacy is a cornerstone to
concerns. B oth King and the Caucus analyzed and syn
A . I Have A Dream
thesized, in depth, the status o f the Black Am erican with
B C ettysburg Address
respect to housing, health, education, and em pkiym ent.
C Black Leadership Family Plan
They agreed that it is necessary that the call fo r direct ac
D. Niagara Movem ent
tio n w ith a plan o f action "create a situation, that it will
Black Caucus' Plan.
3. Upon accepting Ossie Davis' challenge to develop a
TRUE-FALSE
1 The King legacy is a cornerstone to the Congicssion.il
Black Caucus' Black Ixadership fa m ily Plan
2 Martin Luther King. Jr believed in the sisterhood
and hrolherhixxl ot Black Americans
Voter Registration and voting were and are lop
priorities tor both the Congressional Black Caucus and
M artin Luther King. Ji
3
2. The econom ic b ill o l rights talks about
A Adequate em ploym ent and equal pay
B. Adequate H ousing
4 According to Reverend King, alter negotiations have
tailed, a sell-purification process is the next step
C. Q uality Education
D . Adequate Health
The Portland Observer is proud to present its
fourth annual documentary of the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King.
- A
Dr. King was a complex man who few really
understood. In this publication we will explore
the reasons why he lost his precious life.
A man of peace and a disciple of Gandhi, King
sought to eradicate problems that remain today
— problems of poverty, racism, injustice. He
attempted to bring to his nonviolent movement
a global perspective —attacking the problems of
war and oppression.
He captured the heart and soul of the world as
no other because he felt the pain and suffering of
humanity.
We still need peace, love and humility in the
world. Let us look to Dr. King for inspiration
and attempt to make his dream a reality.
Exie Publishing Co., Inc. 1983
The Portland Observer (USPS 959 600) is published every Thursday by Exie Publishing Company, Inc., 1463 N.E.
Killingsvyorth, Portland, OR 97211, Post Office Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208 Second class postage paid at
Portland, Oregon
Subscriptions: $15 00 per year in Tri County area. P ostm aster: Send address changes to the
Portland Observer, P 0. Box 3137, Portland, Oregon 97208.
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