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Martin Luther King lr. 1997
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I am
IS. 1997 • T he P oru
and
O bserver
TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP
by John Wolfe
“...and I may not be there
with you... ” Words spoken by
a man who within 24 hours o f
forecasting his own demise,
would pass from this earth
and into a legacy fo r a gen ­
eration o f people who believe
in equal rights, justice, and
peace.
To me, those words signal images
o f freedom marches, bloodshed, and
martyrdom. When one individual can
stand out among many...when one
person’s voice can be heard above
the tumultuous sounds o f desperate,
angry, frustrated millions...it is awe
inspiring!
Martin Luther, Jr. Took on m ythi­
cal proportions to me during those
fiery and intense times o f the 19 6 0 ’s.
I was twelve years old at the time of
his assassination.
/ had already seen and
heard the rhetoric o f count­
less reformers, despots, radi­
cals and 'klansm en’. A nd yet
not one could reach into the
collective consciousness o f so
many different people, and
capture the essence o f our
imaginations, hopes, and the
in ta n g ib le ‘d r e a m s ’ we
intergenerationally shared.
In Uutli, his eloquent, melodic, ‘cal!
and response’ style o f oratory ex­
pressiveness, took the nation if not
the world by surprise! Here, was a
young, handsom e, educated, d e­
voutly religious southern black man.
The son o f a 'preacher’ who himself
was the son o f a slave. Images o f a
fiery evangelist shouting out scrip­
ture and moral righteousness from
behind a pulpit, within a cavernous
woodshed Baptist church, complete
with wailing, sweat soaked former
slaves and sons and daughters of
slaves, made for an even more com­
pelling story in which this man played
the ‘leading role’. It would be de­
cades later before many o f us would
realize the enormous burden o f re­
sponsibility which the Rev. Martin
L uther King, Jr. Truly carried.
But not then. The last four years of
his life were a ‘picture show ’ ofmagi-
cal m om ents and events! Each
speech, march, and jail cell in which
he proudly took his seat, became
another headline...another phrase to
a song, which he and only he could
sing! He electrified the world popu­
lace by his acts o f defiance, in direct
opposition to the ugly spectre o f
racism and bigotry, which the United
States had so adroitly managed to
circumvent over generations o f time.
King would continue to push, clarify,
question, and tear down the lingering
legacy o f the south’s oppressive
antebellum social caste system. And
his crusade would spread further then
anyone could ever imagine.
I often wondered what thoughts
ran through the mind o f this ‘prince o f
peace ’. I so often wondered, at which
point did he fully realize that his life
would have to come to an abrupt end,
in order for the lives o f the oppressed
to continue. The recent barrage o f
information regarding K ing’s life,
complete with the drama o f his re­
ported dalliances and moments o f
frustration and fear, only serve to
illuminate the reality o f the life o f this
one man. a descendant o f slaves. . .a
father, a husband, a friend to some­
one.
The rhythm o f his words remain
implanted in my mind. I need only see
his picture, or hear a sentence from a
speech, to have the ‘m agic’ o f this
man’s legacy consume me. The power
oP.iis martyrdom, for the freedom and
justice o f the African-American, and
o f all people, will forever find a safe
harbor within my heart and soul.
So if it is Martin, as you so bravely
stated on that night in Tennessee
before your final sacrifice, that you
had been taken to the mountain top,
and allowed to see the fruits o f your
labor on the other side; that place
where children of all colors are locked
hand in hand swaying to the har­
mony o f peace; where people are
judged by the content of their charac­
ter, rather than the color o f their skin;
where all the rough edges o f racism
have been made smooth by the heal­
ing power o f equality, respect and
love...I hope...I know that you are
there.
A n d your gift o f sacrifice,
to all who follow your path,
will truly lead us to ‘theprom ­
ise la n d ’. Yes, Martin, indeed
you had been to the M oun­
tain Top!
“I have a dream
that my four little children
will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin,
but by the content
of their
Manin Luther
6 6 Love is the most durable power in the world. This
creative force, so beautifully exemplified in the life of our
Christ, is the most potent instrument available inmankind’s
quest for peace and security. 99
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Help keep Dr. King’s dream alive.
K O IN (i)
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PROCLAMATION
STATE OF OREGON
Gov. Kitzhaber
Honors Martin
Luther King Jr.
WHEREAS: Oregon seeks to ensure racial justice, harmony and equal opportunity for all its citizens; and
WHEREAS: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a champion for equality, human rights and human dignity and the true
“drum major” for justice; and
WHEREAS: His vision of equality and civil rights for all human beings provided a blueprint for action; and
WHEREAS: We honor Dr. King’s life and his wish that one day all children would “ . . . live in a nation where they
will be judged not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character;” and
WHEREAS: We share his vision that all citizens must be guaranteed the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness; and
WHEREAS: His dream of freedom and universal justice has so greatly enhanced the human condition in this state and
nation; and
WHEREAS: We wish to honor Dr. King’s memory and continue his fight for a better common destiny for all people.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, John A. Kitzhaber, Governor of the State of Oregon, hereby proclaim January 20, 1997 to be
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
in Oregon and encourage all citizens to join in this observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand
and cause the Great Seal of the State of Oregon to
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
Phil Keisling, Secretary of State
t