Bamba, I did enjoy this piece,thanks for forwarding it. For Freedom Saiks ----- Original Message ----- From: Bamba Laye Jallow <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 9:57 PM Subject: FW:ST. MARTIN, THE MILITANT > ====================================================================== > ST. MARTIN, THE MILITANT > ____________________________________________________________________ > > By Mumia Abu-Jamal > #489 Column 1/10/2001 > Source: Joe Hine, [log in to unmask]; http://www.MumiaBook.com > - Friday, 19 January 2001 - > > One night toward the end of January I settled into bed late, after a > strenuous day. Coretta had already fallen asleep and just as I was about to > doze off the telephone rang. An angry voice said, "Listen, nigger, we've > taken all we want from you; before next week you'll be sorry you ever came > to Montgomery." I hung up, but I couldn't sleep. -- Rev. Martin L. King, > Jr., Stride Toward Freedom (1958) > > Three nights after this phone call, King's house was bombed. It is > possible, in this age of consumer- driven commodification, for millions to > know a name, to recognize an image, and still to know next to nothing about > the recognized figure. It has been over 30 years since the assassination of > Dr. King, and in the 3 decades thereafter, few Americans, black or white, > have been so honored, so lionized, or so deeply projected into public > consciousness, as a figure of peace. This would not be so objectionable were > it not for the purposes of that projection. > > Much of the projection seems purely commercial, a secular day-off for > millions of workers, to allow them to stimulate the economy by buying stuff > in the King Day Sale. Much of it also seems political, as Rev. King is > raised as a kind of talisman, a symbol of peace meant to keep the natives > calm in times of discontent. > > But symbols are funny things. They are sometimes overrun by the rampaging > complexities of reality. Living beings change, develop and grow. And Dr. > King, in his later years (and under pressure from black radicals and > militants on his left) became increasingly disenchanted with society, and of > course, those who ruled the social order. > > Black Christian theologian, Dr. James H. Cone, in his excellent Martin & > Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare (Orbis, 1991), draws a compelling > portrait of King's private and public selves, and his growing openness to > radical ideas. Cone writes that Martin's wife, Coretta, who knew him best, > saw him inching closer and closer to the views of Malcolm X. Indeed, Coretta > S. King said as much, in her My Life with Martin Luther King, where she saw > "firm agreement" between the two men on "certain aspects" of Malcolm's > program. She sensed that "at some point the two would have come closer > together and would have been a very strong force in the total struggle for > liberation and self-determination of black people in our society." > > This was not to be. > > Waves of rebellions in black communities in 1967 shook King, and opened his > eyes to what he called "a system of internal colonialism." In words that > would seem to presage the fiery words of Dr. Huey P. Newton and the Black > Panthers a season later, King observed: "The slum is little more than a > domestic colony which leaves its inhabitants dominated politically, > exploited economically, segregated and humiliated at every turn" (Cone, > p.223). > > With these attacks on the economic injustices in America came criticism of > King by the media and their moneyed masters. To his eternal credit, King did > not turn from his vision, and instead heightened his economic critique, > saying, at the SCLC Convention of Aug. 1967: > > We've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society. We are called > upon to help the discouraged beggars in life's market place. But one day we > must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. > It means that questions must be raised. "Who owns this oil?"... "Who owns > the iron ore?"... "Why is it that people have to pay water bills in a world > that is two-thirds water?" (Cone, 224). > > This is the voice of a man who was being radicalized. Nor were his previous > feelings of confidence and faith in white Americans unchanged. King called > America a "confused," "sick," and "neurotic" nation, telling a group of > blacks in Louisville that "the vast majority of white Americans are racist," > whether consciously or unconsciously (Cone, p. 233). > > In months thereafter, he would severely criticize the Vietnam War, and call > the U.S. the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world today" (Cone, > p.237) at his "Beyond Vietnam" speech at Riverside Church in New York City. > Relatively shortly thereafter, Dr. King was sent to his fathers and from > this world. > > As King Day once again passes, let us all remember that a man is more than a > symbol. Let us remember his growing radicalization, for if we have an idea > where he was going, we begin to see why the powers that be, (the rulers, the > FBI, the police, etc.) didn't want him to arrive. > > This column may be reprinted and/or distributed by electronic means, but > only for non-commercial use, and only with the inclusion of the following > copyright information: > > Text (c) copyright 2001 by Mumia Abu-Jamal. All rights reserved. Reprinted > by permission of the author. > > ** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, material > appearing in Antifa Info-Bulletin is distributed without charge or profit to > those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for > research and educational purposes. For more info see: > http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Submissions are welcome. ** > ====================================================================== > Abdoulie A. Jallow > Toll-free number: 1-888-392-4832(Excite2) > Personal extension for v/mail/fax: 291-368-1519 > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ > Send a cool gift with your E-Card > http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] > if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------