Martin Luther King )r. Special Edition_____
(The P o r tla n d (lf)bscrucr
"A
G race L ee B oggs
A C T IO N "
W AKE UP YOUNG
AMERICANS!
—
D uring the 1960s, like m ost ac­
tivists in the Black Power movement,
I identified m ore with M alcolm X
than w ith King. I was inspired by the
C ivil Rights m ovem ent in the South,
but 1 had no real understanding ofhow
deeply rooted it w as in the people and
the com m unity or how it challenged
not only the racism o f A merican soci­
ety but the concepts o f revolution
held by m ost radicals, including m y­
self. It w as only as 1 studied the
speeches and writings o f Dr. King in
the last tw o years o fh is life that I have
learned to appreciate how profoundly
visionary he was and especially how'
he exempl i tied what I believe to be one
o f the most important qualities ot revo­
lutionary leadership, the ability to
evolve and change your ideas as real­
ity changes and as you learn from
your own experiences and those ot
others.
T he turning point for King was the
eruption o f the youth rebellions in
northern cities, beginning with Watts
in 1965. These rebellions m ade King
painful ly aw are that the vision ofblack
and w hite children m arching hand in
hand, w hich had inspired the civil
rights struggle in the South, did not
m eet the m ore com plex needs o f new
generations o f Black street youth
w hom Hi-Tech had made expendable
and w ho w ere being sent to die in the
rice paddies ofV ietnam .
Recognizing that w e had entered
into an era o f rebellion but also rec­
ognizing that unceasing rebellion
would only mean unceasing chaos.
King was exploring a new kind o f
revolution, a non-violent revolution
that would challenge all the values
and institutions o f our society and
com bine the struggle against Racism
with a struggle against Poverty, M ili­
tarism and M aterialism.
Recognizing that these four evils
were deeply rooted in Capital ism. King
was trying to conceptualize a new
system that would go beyond Capital­
ism which he said w as too centered,
too individualistic and C om m unism
TO
January 19, 2000
A REBEL WITH A CAUSE
B>
CALL
By
King speaks at a Mississippi voter registration drive in June
1966. At left is Stokely t annicheal. w ho replaced John I ew is as
chairman ol the Student Nonviolent C oordinating Committee
(SNCC) and lobbied for blacks to take a more militant approach
to gaining their rights
w hich he saw as too collective, too
statis. W arning that material growth
had been made an end in itself and that
our scientific pow er had outrun our
spiritual power, he refused to accept
the dictatorship o f Hi-Tech which he
said diminishes people because it elimi­
nates the sense o f participation.
W e have guided missiles and m is­
guided men, he said. And he called for
programs that would involve young
people in direct actions in our dying
cities w hich would be both self-trans­
forming and structure-transforming.
1 d on’t know - no one does - what
King would have been thinking and
doinghad he not been killed. Buttoday,
32 years later, I am convinced that in
order to build a new movement for
revolutionary social change for our
period we have to begin where he left
off, i.e., with the need to go beyond
rebellion to revolution.
That means taking seriously K ing’s
conviction that the struggle against
Racism should not be separated out
from the struggle against Poverty,
Materialism and Militarism. It also
means that we should be involving our
young people in self-transforming and
structure-transform ing com m unity­
building programs, especially in our
schools.
King was able to respond so cre­
atively to the black rebellions because
he had learned to think dialectically
from Hegel, his favorite philosopher.
Recognizing that new contradictions
are bound to emerge in the course o f
struggle. Hegel warned against get­
ting stuck in the ideals o f the pasts.
For King, as for Hegel, the essence
o f humanity was the struggle for Free­
dom. But Freedom is not a thing. It is
a concept that is constantly evolving
as we struggle to evolve i nto siometh i ng
more human. Thus w e have to go
beyond the concept o f Freedom as
freedom o f the will or to do your own
thingand begin conceivingofFreedom
in terms o f citizenship or our right and
responsibility to govern our com m u­
nities, our city and our country.
Like H egel, K ing had a long-
range approach to struggle. As a re­
sult, he saw revolution not as an
outburst o f anger or resentm ent but
as disciplined activity that is trans­
form ative and healing not only o f
society but o f ourselves.
T hese are som e o f the w ays o f
thinking that contributed to the very
special quality o f K in g ’s leadership.
The best w ay for us to honor Dr.
K ing is to think dialectically o u r­
selves.
--
D a . mel C lay =====—
but if you do not turn out to the polls,
and vote, your signs are worthless! It
is important that the young and strong
who are familiar with technology, and
the needs o f today, be involved in the
political processes o f today. No one
can empower you, for you must em ­
pow er yourselves! How will you be
empowered? By taking the responsi­
bility to be an active part o fy o u r politi­
cal system, by voting, by standing
behind those who represent the issues
in which you believe.
Can you m ake a difference?
You better believe you can make
a difference!
Leadership is very much about eth­
ics. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew this
truth and expressed it when he said,
“W e are called to be people o f convic­
tion, not conformity; o f moral nobil­
ity. not social respectability. W e are
com manded to live differently and ac­
cording to a higher loyalty.” A govern­
ment functions optimally, only when
those w ho lead it have the proper ethics
to lead it as is best for the people. The
government gives you freedom o f ex­
pression - freedom to write what you
want in newspapers, freedom to dis­
agree on the radio; freedom to tattoo
your body or pierce your nipples, free­
dom to make any statement you desire
- and it gives you the right and respon­
sibility to be active in the process o f the
government by backing the candidates
in whom you believe, by voting, and, if
you do not believe in one o f the candi­
dates, you have the right to become
one o f them! But, if you fail to exercise
these rights, th e n .. .you may find other
rights and privileges dwindling! Even
the rights o f the expression o f your
personal beliefs, for as that great Civil
Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.
said, “Blind conformity makes us so
suspicious o f an individual w ho in­
sists on saying that what he really
believes that w e recklessly threaten his
civil liberties.”
“ 1 have a dream!” was a powerful
When one looks at the current state
o f affairs in the U nited States o f
America, it is obvious why genera­
tions X and Y are so distraught. The
political arena is full o f corruption;
the corrupt accuse the corrupt. There
is a blatant disregard for morals and
ethics and a blatant disregard for the
very earth that sustains humam life.
This sad state o f affairs has caused
many people to withdraw into their
own little shells. It has caused many to
shun politics lest they becom e soiled
by the same. And it has caused many
to reject the values and the norms o f
preceding generations. But, dressing
differently, or observing different
cultural norms, does not change the
system. Refusing to participate in that
terrible tainted political system does
not change the system . I n fact, a refusal
to participate is a selfish denial o f re­
sponsibility that will ultimately allow
the system-as-it-is to continue; and if
the system o f government and politics
o f today continues as usual, genera­
tions o f X and Y, and generations to
come beyond them , shal 1 be the ones to
suffer!
Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Suc­
cess, recognition, and conformity are
the bywords o f the m odem world
where everyone seems to crave the
anesthetizing security o f being identi­
fied with the majority. “Now, I tell
you, that “non-conformity” can, in and
o f itself become “conformity”; so, it
does not matter w hether you wear a
baseball cap with the bill turned back­
wards, or whether you shave part o f
your head, or pierce part o f your body,
or tattoo part o f your body, these are
mere outer ornaments that have NO
effect upon what is actually occurring
in the political process. These may be
fine personal statements, but they are
o f NO consequence in the world o f
politics and government! And march­
ing with signs may m ake you feel good.
rallying cry; but that dream has not
been fulfilled! And it w on’t be fulfilled
until everyone follows their hearts and
makes the dream a reality! Those who
have been to the top o f the mountain,
and have seen what is on the other side,
have no doubt about what CAN be
accomplished. But most ofus are greatly
saddened by what IS being accom ­
plished! It is so little when so much is
possible!
How long wi 11 it be before equality,
freedom, liberty, and justice for all
becomes a reality?
The meek will never i nheri t the earth
if they are wi 11 ing to exercise their right
to vote.W hy is the Black Man, the
Hispanic, or the Indian more likely to
end up in jail or prison than the white
man? Perhaps, it is the educational
system and the very prejudices built
into our society. Generations X and Y
cringe at these prejudices; yet, their
lack o f political activity sustains these
prejudices.
If you want change, you must be
willing to be part o f that change! Only
you can em power yourself, and you do
so by accepting responsibility and tak­
ing the responsibility to be an active
part o f the political processes.
IM A G IN E A
Building citizen led solutions on NE Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd. for a more livable community.
IVS.
Improvements include increased street lighting,
safer street crossings, enhanced transit stops,
on-street parking, increased street trees, store front
improvements, housing and jobs.
= 3 .
reclaiming
M A R TIN LCTMER
KING JR. BLVD.
FOR CITIZENS.
roc
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of
P ortland
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