[img]583|left|||no_popup[/img]The United States of America has honored only four men in history by declaring the day of their birth a national day of celebration — Jesus Christ, George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man whose forebears were brought to these shores in chains. That says a lot about this humble black man.
Considering that even today some are raging over the intellectual capacity of the African American people, it further emphasizes Dr. King’s stature, which speaks with flawless eloquence to the boundless potential of the African American intellect.
Admitted to Morehouse College at 15 and a Nobel Peace Prize winner by 34, Dr. King rose to become one of the most honored men in this country’s history. By his untimely death at 39, his was a rare voice that would speak to all men for all time. Long after the bones of his detractors have turned to dust, this unassuming young man’s name will to reverberate.
That was the legacy of Martin Luther King. Through his moral strength and tenacity he demonstrated to America that the black man was much more than just a beast of burden. Through his intellect and his ability to personify all of black America, he inspired the world to embrace his cause. Thus, the legacy of Martin Luther King, like the man himself, stands as a monument to the depth and breadth of the African American culture.
Concentrate on Negatives
Too often we focus on the most negative aspects of the African American while ignoring great strides by the vast majority of black people. We pay special attention to the relatively few violent black criminals. We focus on the undereducated in the black community while turning a blind eye to the hordes of African American students and professionals flooding colleges and universities.
We have become experts on those African Americans who are a burden on our society while blissfully unaware t of the multitude of African American doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, laborers, musicians, writers, architects, homemakers and yes, now a President, who contribute their unique talents to making this a better world.
These are the people Martin cherished, the people at the center of tributes to Dr. King. As we honor Martin, Malcolm, and other nameless black heroes who have struggled, and in many cases given their lives, to move our people forward, we cannot help but honor ourselves. That is the true meaning of Martin's legacy.
In honring Dr. King, we celebrate a new culture conceived in pain, delivered into turmoil, and baptized in a sea of deprivation. We celebrate a culture that is only now in the spring of its development. Yet it has managed to combine the wisdom, strength, and spirituality of its African origins with the sophistication, knowledge, and creative intellect of its newfound home.
In the week of Dr. King’s 83rd birthday, let us gaze upon the mountaintop, inspired by the knowledge our reach no longer exceeds our grasp. Let us dedicate our lives to leaving the world better than we found it. While we take a furtive look back, let it not be in anger but with a resolve and a sense of pride at what we have overcome. Let us take at least one moment to thank God that Martin, this spiritual black man, was allowed to walk among us.
Let us take a moment to listen to our hearts as they quietly murmur,:
Free at last free at last,
Every man, woman and child,
Free at last,
From the sandy beaches of California to the shores of Maine,
Free at last,
From America’s shores to the tiniest village in Zimbabwe.
Thank God Almighty,
We are free at last.
Eric L. Wattree is a writer, poet and musician, born in Los Angeles. A columnist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Black Star News, a staff writer for Veterans Today, he is a contributing writer to Your Black World, the Huffington Post, ePluribus Media and other online sites and publications. He also is the author of “A Message From the Hood.”
Mr. Wattree may be contacted at wattree.blogspot.com or Ewattree@Gmail.com
