In a marathon day of peace and justice work, consisting of workshops and 5 hours of inspiring and controversial speeches, Plymouth Congregational Church, Black Voices for Peace, and WPFW radio station sponsored a to Martin Luther King program for over a thousand people.
The program was broadcast live on WPFW and immediately became a radical political edge from which African-American and progressive groups can take lessons. Many speakers pushed to the outer limits, the meaning of MLK's work and words, and reminded people that King was a Drum Major for justice as opposed to the quotable milquetoast on McDonald's cups.
Supporters of the political right are turning King's words into their opposite meaning. Rev. Hagler denounced the Lt. Governor of Maryland for trying to pervert King's words by saying that King would have hated Affirmative Action. Further, Rev. Hagler said Bush distanced himself publicly from Trent Lott's recent racist comments, yet on the actual birthday of Dr. King, (Jan. 15), Bush "blinked" to Lott's followers, telling them 'Everything is all right.'
With the moving cadence of church sermons, speakers from the pulpit railed at Bush's plans for war on Iraq, as well as Bush’s attack on Affirmative Action, to loud cheers. Others spoke of human resources being sent to war not spent on schools and healthcare and needs of the poor, the elderly and the children of our nation.
During the program, a special tribute was given to James Foreman, a long-time civil rights activist who had been a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee alongside Dr. King. Foreman related two surprising behind-the-scenes experiences with MLK. Around 1967, LBJ was testing the water for another presidential term. Whitney Young, of the Urban League, was going to meet with President Johnson re getting support from the Black community in exchange for Johnson's civil rights legislation. King and Foreman pressured Whitney to take the message to the President that they would not support the Vietnam War. According to Foremen, LBJ soon after decided not to seek reelection.
In another instance, King privately told Foreman, "I believe in socialism as a system. But it is not the time for me to say this yet." Forman also implied that King lost his life while supporting striking sanitation workers, and that this was related to his assassination.
Another speaker, Mahdi Bray, Muslim activist, addressed how King's "Dream" is not yet fulfilled. He reminded the audience that Bush chose to denounce Affirmative Action on King’s real birthday, but, he added that Bush got to college on Affirmative Action, and Bush got to the presidency on Affirmative Action. It's called "Legacy" (your father was there first and pushed you to the front.) "The dream is not fulfilled if we still have 'Driving while Black' or 'Flying while Muslim.'” Bray said that those in the room and that the protest on Saturday were the "new coalition" for justice.
Rev. Grayland Hagler, minister of the Plymouth Congregational Church, said, "If people of faith are unable to stand up by whatever name we call God, then we're all in a mess of trouble," referring to the demonizing of Muslims. Supporters of the political right are turning King's words into their opposite meaning. Rev. Hagler denounced the Lt. Governor of Maryland for trying to pervert King's words by saying that King would have hated Affirmative Action. Rev. Hagler said Bush distanced himself publicly from Trent Lott, yet on the actual birthday of Dr. King, (Jan. 15), Bush "blinked" to Lott's followers, telling them 'Everything is all right.'
When asked by DC IMC what he meant, Rev Hagler said, "People have forgotten what day Martin Luther King's birthday is. Popular culture has made them forget, and this year it was on a Monday. Bush wasn't talking to us on that day. He was talking to the white supremacists to tell them that 'Everything is all right!'”
There is historical precedent for Rev. Hagler's interpretation of Bush's actions. Ronald Reagan delivered his first major campaign speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, the town made infamous for the murders of civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Cheney. Reagan's speech was: "I believe in state's rights and I believe in people doing as much as they can for themselves at the community level and at the private level. I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in the Constitution to that federal establishment."
Rev. Hagler's comments on the Iraq War were similar to many speakers on stage at the huge demonstration for peace held in Washington, DC on Saturday, Jan. 18th. Rev. Hagler advised the audience, "My son and your sons should not die for Oil. The Movement is going to shake up America. Bush, Rumsfield, Watch Out. The People are Coming!"
A few speakers specifically said, "our soldiers should refuse to fight."
Larry Holmes, of ANSWER coalition cited a NY Times editorial that said, "A notable number of Americans no longer feel obliged to salute Bush since 911. There is a lack of confidence in this war..."
Damu Smith of Black Voices for Peace ended the night calling on people to focus on freeing Mumia Abu-Jamal, and to ending the pandemic of AIDS in Africa.
