Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. (I Have A Dream Speech, MLK Jr.)I received a Facebook post from my one of my favorite musicians, jazz bassist Marcus Miller a few days ago. He attached a picture of the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. It was a fascinating picture and just in time for the Martin Luther King Holiday.
The picture had an antiquated finish, a faded patina to it that made it quite striking. The image would have been ordinary if it weren’t for the significance of the subject, the spot where a civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., was struck down. It was a picture of a two story structure with two classic cars parked in front. And as I contemplated the politics of the turbulent ‘60s, particularly the events that led to his final fate - crossing paths with an assassin’s bullet, I was struck by the coincidence. The date was the 4th of April, a date that stands out for it’s significance in my own life .
My recent struggles have been dominated by my banishment from a cafe that served as my office for over four years. My indigence poses an extraordinary challenge - the need for shelter during cold mornings, a regular place to work that offered comfort and just the right amount of sensory input to allow for productive writing sessions. The Cup has the clanging of dishes, people’s voices, music and the aroma of brewing coffee that seem to fuel my writing projects. Having a nice place to sit down and be able to fill a computer screen with words is a great luxury for me. It is something that doesn’t quite get replicated in a library.
April 4th marks one of a number of recent events that led to my banishment from the Neighborhood Cup. It is also the date when Dr. King was struck down by a bullet in Memphis. The coincidence does not end there, however. There are a number of other things that I have discovered to have in common with Dr. King. We know that he was the subject of an FBI investigation, from which counter-intelligence activities developed and immense assets brought to bear. He was subject to harassment, sabotage and disruptions of every sort. In all, the Bureau had confused legal political dissent for rebellion and unfounded treasonous activities. He was targeted by prostitutes in the employ of the Bureau, their dalliances recorded for the ears of an intended audience - none other than his wife, Mrs. King herself.
These are deviant behaviours that we read in spy vs. spy novels, nefarious acts of self-gratification disguised as patriotism. Evidence now bears out that Dr. King was not a spy, but a baptist minister who used peaceful demonstrations to affect change at a time when many would rather keep things as they were. It was as if Hoover’s men had brought their big guns to the zoo instead of a jungle where the Lion King can effectively fend off a free-for-all from marauding protagonists with guns, badges and a compendium of lies and fabrications.
Martin Luther King Holiday celebrates his life and not his untimely demise. Yet, I draw inspiration from his courage and passion for the causes he helped advance, which undoubdtedly led to his death. I have come to appreciate him more after experiencing, not only an FBI investigation but a full-blown operation conducted on my family and I that continues to this day. I think, I now get what he was saying when he said:
I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.The 4th of April is my ground zero, the starting point from which we set into motion the beginning of the end for all such secretly sanctioned abuses by federal law enforcement agencies and other law enforcement agencies. Clearly, the tactics that they were using in the 60’s are still being deployed today, only with greater stealth and highly evolved technologies. That must all change if our democracy is to thrive. The troubled state of this nation’s affairs demand it. We must command that every member of this nation’s government think and act like servants, prepared to unshackle all things that limit the potential of the human spirit and unleash the awesome potential of Americans.
Today, on this cloudy day in Aliso Viejo California, we celebrate the rebirth of Dr. King’s long march to the promised land - to personal fulfillment and towards the realization of our dreams.
VIEW THE MLK PHOTO ALBUM
READ ABOUT THE BANISHMENT
