By Coretta Scott King
[from The King Center 's website]
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example -- the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.
We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision fill
ed a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.
The King Holiday honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a color-blind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.
On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.
It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples' holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream.
We commemorate on this holiday the ecumenical leader and visionary who embraced the unity of all faiths in love and truth. And though we take patriotic pride that Dr. King was an American, on this holiday we must also commemorate the global leader who inspired nonviolent liberation movements around the world. Indeed, on this day, programs commemoratin
g my husband’s birthday are being observed in more than 100 nations.
The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.
The Holiday commemorates America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence --- the man who taught by his example that nonviolent action is the most powerful, revolutionary force for social change available to oppressed people in their struggles for liberation.
This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.
Every King holiday has been a national "teach-in" on the values of nonviolence, including unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation, which are so desperately-needed to unify America. It is a day of intensive education and training in Martin’s philosophy and methods of nonviolent social change and conflict-reconciliation. The Holiday provides a unique opportunity to teach young people to fight evil, not people, to get in the habit of asking themselves, "what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict?"
On the King holiday, young people learn about the power of unconditional love even for one's adversaries as a way to fight injustice and defuse violent disputes. It is a time to show them the power of forgiveness in the healing process at the interpersonal as well as international levels.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on the Holiday, his followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitate housing, tutoring those who can't read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the broken-hearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.
Dr. King once said that we all have to decide whether we "will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Life's most persistent and n
agging question, he said, is `what are you doing for others?'" he would quote Mark 9:35, the scripture in which Jesus of Nazareth tells James and John "...whosoever will be great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever among you will be the first shall be the servant of all." And when Martin talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on February 4, 1968 in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life. "I'd like somebody to mention on that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others," he said. "I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life...to love and serve humanity.
We call you to commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership. And with our hearts open to this spirit of unconditional love, we can indeed achieve the Beloved Community of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.
May we who follow Martin now pledge to serve humanity, promote his teachings and carry forward his legacy into the 21st Century.
◙ Many good people have been fighting for Dr. King's dream in different ways. One such group of people created Community Lawyers, Inc., a nonprofit organization that was incorporated in May 2005 by R. Vanessa Alvarado and Luz E. Herrera. As explained in its website:
Community Lawyers, Inc. was formed to formalize mentoring opportunities for first-generation pre-law and college students to expose them to opportunities in, and
challenges of, the legal profession and the needs of low- and moderate-income clients. The precursor to Community Lawyers was an informal internship program facilitated by Luz E. Herrera in her law office for young lawyers, law students and college students interested in going to law school. Between May 2002 to May 2005, approximately a dozen new and future attorneys sought Ms. Herrera's assistance for work and practical experience. Although still in its infancy, the organization seeks to create a pipeline for quality, ethical and affordable attorneys who are responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.
Community Lawyers is proud to announce the upcoming opening of the COMMUNITY LEGAL ACCESS CENTER located at 1216 E. Compton Blvd., Compton, California 90221.
DATE: January 30, 2009
TIME: 5:00p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Stop by for a cup of coffee sponsored by Antigua Coffee House and a tasty dessert sponsored by Narver Insurance and prepared by Chef Luz. For more information and to contribute please contact us at (310) 635-8181.
[Pictured: Community Lawyers, Inc.'s 2008 Summer Interns.]
◙ Over at the El Paso Times, Sheryl Luna reviews Suzanne Frischkorn's Lit Windowpane (Main Street Rag) which she calls a "tight collection of poems that speaks to the beauty of the natural world, as well as the relationships between individuals." Luna continues:
Suzanne Frischkorn's poems are often compact, well controlled, yet playful linguistically and thematically. This collection is engaging on multiple levels with its multilayered meanings and careful attention to language.
***
These poems are often syntactically innovative. They also are lyrically attentive to the ear, short and well-controlled, yet playful and imaginative. Themes of love, sorrow, nature and awareness run throughout.
To read the entire review, go here. Sheryl Luna, an El Paso native and award-winning poet, is the author of Pity the Drowned Horses (University of Notre Dame Press).
◙ Al Martinez's last column appears in today's Los Angeles Times. I'll let Al speak for himself...read the column here.
◙ That’s all for this week. Tomorrow will be a wonderful day as our new President is sworn in; I hope you will have a chance to watch the ceremonies and, perhaps, join in with the festivities (even from afar). Remember: ¡Lea un libro!
[from The King Center 's website]
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example -- the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.
We commemorate Dr. King’s inspiring words, because his voice and his vision fill
ed a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it wasn’t enough just to talk the talk, that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day, the man who braved threats and jail and beatings and who ultimately paid the highest price to make democracy a reality for all Americans.The King Holiday honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial justice and equality, the leader who not only dreamed of a color-blind society, but who also lead a movement that achieved historic reforms to help make it a reality.
On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.
It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples' holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream.
We commemorate on this holiday the ecumenical leader and visionary who embraced the unity of all faiths in love and truth. And though we take patriotic pride that Dr. King was an American, on this holiday we must also commemorate the global leader who inspired nonviolent liberation movements around the world. Indeed, on this day, programs commemoratin
g my husband’s birthday are being observed in more than 100 nations.The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.
The Holiday commemorates America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence --- the man who taught by his example that nonviolent action is the most powerful, revolutionary force for social change available to oppressed people in their struggles for liberation.
This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.
Every King holiday has been a national "teach-in" on the values of nonviolence, including unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation, which are so desperately-needed to unify America. It is a day of intensive education and training in Martin’s philosophy and methods of nonviolent social change and conflict-reconciliation. The Holiday provides a unique opportunity to teach young people to fight evil, not people, to get in the habit of asking themselves, "what is the most loving way I can resolve this conflict?"
On the King holiday, young people learn about the power of unconditional love even for one's adversaries as a way to fight injustice and defuse violent disputes. It is a time to show them the power of forgiveness in the healing process at the interpersonal as well as international levels.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on the Holiday, his followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitate housing, tutoring those who can't read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the broken-hearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.
Dr. King once said that we all have to decide whether we "will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. Life's most persistent and n
agging question, he said, is `what are you doing for others?'" he would quote Mark 9:35, the scripture in which Jesus of Nazareth tells James and John "...whosoever will be great among you shall be your servant; and whosoever among you will be the first shall be the servant of all." And when Martin talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on February 4, 1968 in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life. "I'd like somebody to mention on that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others," he said. "I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life...to love and serve humanity.We call you to commemorate this Holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity with the vibrant spirit of unconditional love that was his greatest strength, and which empowered all of the great victories of his leadership. And with our hearts open to this spirit of unconditional love, we can indeed achieve the Beloved Community of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.
May we who follow Martin now pledge to serve humanity, promote his teachings and carry forward his legacy into the 21st Century.
◙ Many good people have been fighting for Dr. King's dream in different ways. One such group of people created Community Lawyers, Inc., a nonprofit organization that was incorporated in May 2005 by R. Vanessa Alvarado and Luz E. Herrera. As explained in its website:
Community Lawyers, Inc. was formed to formalize mentoring opportunities for first-generation pre-law and college students to expose them to opportunities in, and
challenges of, the legal profession and the needs of low- and moderate-income clients. The precursor to Community Lawyers was an informal internship program facilitated by Luz E. Herrera in her law office for young lawyers, law students and college students interested in going to law school. Between May 2002 to May 2005, approximately a dozen new and future attorneys sought Ms. Herrera's assistance for work and practical experience. Although still in its infancy, the organization seeks to create a pipeline for quality, ethical and affordable attorneys who are responsive to the needs of the communities they serve.Community Lawyers is proud to announce the upcoming opening of the COMMUNITY LEGAL ACCESS CENTER located at 1216 E. Compton Blvd., Compton, California 90221.
DATE: January 30, 2009
TIME: 5:00p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Stop by for a cup of coffee sponsored by Antigua Coffee House and a tasty dessert sponsored by Narver Insurance and prepared by Chef Luz. For more information and to contribute please contact us at (310) 635-8181.
[Pictured: Community Lawyers, Inc.'s 2008 Summer Interns.]
◙ Over at the El Paso Times, Sheryl Luna reviews Suzanne Frischkorn's Lit Windowpane (Main Street Rag) which she calls a "tight collection of poems that speaks to the beauty of the natural world, as well as the relationships between individuals." Luna continues:
Suzanne Frischkorn's poems are often compact, well controlled, yet playful linguistically and thematically. This collection is engaging on multiple levels with its multilayered meanings and careful attention to language.
***
These poems are often syntactically innovative. They also are lyrically attentive to the ear, short and well-controlled, yet playful and imaginative. Themes of love, sorrow, nature and awareness run throughout.
To read the entire review, go here. Sheryl Luna, an El Paso native and award-winning poet, is the author of Pity the Drowned Horses (University of Notre Dame Press).
◙ Al Martinez's last column appears in today's Los Angeles Times. I'll let Al speak for himself...read the column here.
◙ That’s all for this week. Tomorrow will be a wonderful day as our new President is sworn in; I hope you will have a chance to watch the ceremonies and, perhaps, join in with the festivities (even from afar). Remember: ¡Lea un libro!
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