A Slave’s Prayer:
I was stole from Eden, an innocent soul,
crossed seas and centuries, chained and cold;
My mother was raped and beaten to death,
my daddy was sold, and my sister is kept.
So how they praise God and brag dat they free,
and even sing songs about freedom, 'din look upon me?
I was chained to 'dis land, 'dis “Land of the free,”
by people with a God, who sho must can't see.
But a change is a comin', tho I won't no mo be,
but when it get here, Dear Lord,
please let my soul see.
****
[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 of Nazareth, widely accepted as the father of all mankind; President George Washington, the father of this nation; Christopher Columbus, the man credited with discovering the Americas; 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. In spite of the fact that Dr. King began his life burdened by the inherent disadvantages of being blessed with black skin in a Jim Crow environment, his words, his intellect and his deeds so inspired the heart and soul of humanity that America saw fit to set aside a day for this nation – this world – to thank God that he was allowed to walk among us.
His Uniqueness
His was a soul with such strength that it served to lift the rest of mankind to a higher level of humanity. That's not only a testament to one black man's ability to pull himself up from the dust of his humble beginnings. It is a testament to the capacity of his people to meet the test of greatness.
When one considers that even today some are engaged in a raging controversy over the intellectual capacity of the African American people, it only emphasizes Dr. King’s stature in this society, which speaks with flawless eloquence to the boundless potential of the African American intellect.
Admitted to Morehouse College at 15 years of age 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 age 39, it was clear that his was to be one of those rare voices 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 continue to reverberate throughout the ages.
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.
Too often we focus on the most negative aspects of the African American while ignoring the great strides being made by the vast majority of black people. We pay special attention to the relatively few violent black criminals while we ignore the millions of black law-abiding citizens; we focus on the undereducated in the black community while we turn a blind eye to the hordes of African American students and professionals who are flooding our colleges and universities; we've become experts on those African Americans who are a burden on our society while we remain blissfully ignorant 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 whom Martin cherished, whom we truly honor in any tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. Because as we honor Martin and Malcolm, and all of the 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.
(To be continued)
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
