Portland observer., January 11, 1995, Page 26, Image 26

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J anuary 11, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver
King Learns From
Discrimination Early In Life
M artin Luther King Jr., w as
bom on Jan. 15, 1929, in A t­
lanta, G a., and learned about
racial discrim ination at an early
age. W hen he w as five years
old, his m ost frequent p la y ­
m ate was a w hite boy w hose
father ow ned a n eighborhood
grocery store. O ne day, out o f
the blue, the b o y ’s parents told
M artin to go aw ay and not play
with their son any longer. B e ­
w ildered, M artin asked w hy,
“B ecause we are w hite and you
are colored,” they said.
At hom e, M artin cried to
his m other, "W hy d o n ’t w hite
people like us?”
She dropped everything
an d fo rsev eral hours explained
the nature o f race relations in
A m erica, the tragedy o f sla ­
very and of segregation. She
told him to hold his head high
and not let w hat w hites said
and did affect him.
“ You m ust never feel that
you are less than anybody else,”
she said. “ Y ou m ust alw ays
feel that you are so m eb o d y .”
Black protests against segregation, which had been voiced for centuries, were finally being heard
in the mid-1950s.
6 Q The belief that god will do everything for man is as
untenable as the belief that man can do everything for himself.
It, too, is based on a lack of faith. We must learn that to expect
God to do everything while we do nothing is not faith but
superstition. ”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
King (bottom, right) at the age of six, attending a birthday party with
fellow first graders in his Atlanta neighborhood. “Love was central
and...lovely relationships were ever present," he later said of his
childhood years.
6 6 Justice for black people will not flow into society merely
from court decisions nor from fountains of political oratory.
Nor will a few token changes quell all the tempestuous
yearnings of millions of disadvantaged black people. White
America must recognize that justice for black people cannot
be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our
society. The comfortable, the entrenched, the privileged can­
not continue to tremble at the prospect of change in the status
quo. ”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
A
POWERFUL
SOURCE
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. for his powerful
words and actions.
To his strength, pride and leadership, we salute Dr. King and
his ability to energize thought. Even enlighten the future.
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As your energy services company, w e’re also committed to
powering the future. With ideas to help local communities and
businesses grow, w e’re the People at Pacific Power.
#
PACIFIC POWER
A Division o f PacifiCorp
438 NE Killingsworth St.
Portland, OR. 97211
(503) 287-7655
MOTHER DEAR’S
TASTY PASTRIES
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