Dr. King Discussion: Speech Two

[antonyh]

Here is the second Landmark Speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Study Guide:
1) What insights did you gain from this speech about your own civil rights activism?
2) What insights could be applied to our civil rights activism as a community (not just Soulforce, but all LGBT civil rights organizations)?

The Birth of a New Nation

7 April 1957
Montgomery, Alabama

I want to preach this morning from the subject: "The Birth of a New Nation." And I would like to use as a basis for our thinking together a story that has long since been stenciled on the mental sheets of succeeding generations. It is the story of the Exodus, the story of the flight of the Hebrew people from the bondage of Egypt, through the wilderness, and finally to the Promised Land. It’s a beautiful story. I had the privilege the other night of seeing the story in movie terms in New York City, entitled "The Ten Commandments," and I came to see it in all of its beauty—the struggle of Moses, the struggle of his devoted followers as they sought to get out of Egypt. And they finally moved on to the wilderness and toward the Promised Land. This is something of the story of every people struggling for freedom. It is the first story of man’s explicit quest for freedom. And it demonstrates the stages that seem to inevitably follow the quest for freedom.

Continued at Stanford U:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/p...ew_nation.html

Prior Speeches:

Speech One:
http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4118

[antonyh]

This is definitely a long speech to read but it contains some real treasure. Here is the first quote that stuck me.

The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community. The aftermath of nonviolence is redemption. The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation. The aftermath of violence however, are emptiness and bitterness. This is the thing I’m concerned about. Let us fight passionately and unrelentingly for the goals of justice and peace, but let’s be sure that our hands are clean in this struggle. Let us never fight with falsehood and violence and hate and malice, but always fight with love, so that, when the day comes that the walls of segregation have completely crumbled in Montgomery. that we will be able to live with people as their brothers and sisters.

Oh, my friends, our aim must be not to defeat Mr. Engelhardt, not to defeat Mr. Sellers and Mr. Gayle and Mr. Parks. Our aim must be to defeat the evil that’s in them. But our aim must be to win the friendship of Mr. Gayle and Mr. Sellers and Mr. Engelhardt. We must come to the point of seeing that our ultimate aim is to live with all men as brothers and sisters under God and not be their enemies or anything that goes with that type of relationship. And this is one thing that Ghana teaches us: that you can break aloose from evil through nonviolence, through a lack of bitterness. Nkrumah says in his book: "When I came out of prison, I was not bitter toward Britain. I came out merely with the determination to free my people from the colonialism and imperialism that had been inflicted upon them by the British. But I came out with no bitterness." And, because of that, this world will be a better place in which to live.

I can only share from personal experience, but I know that when I first came out and tasted injustice, my first reaction was anger and bitterness. I had just graduated from Seminary and coming out pretty much ended years of work and dreams. I wonder how many people wandering in these forums carry vestiges of anger and bitterness toward Christians and Christianity, or your oppressor in general?

Dr. King calls us to something else. Nonviolence motivated by love, not bitterness. Can we love ________ as they hatefully oppose our sexual orientation or gender identity while working to defeat the evil in their hearts? Can we live with them as brothers and sisters in beloved community when we win our freedom? Does our activism make this possible?

That is a hard, hard calling, but I find it so liberating.

[Pablo Rafael]

Antony,

Thanks for starting this discussion. It's a rather long speech to read, but as with all of Dr. King's speeches, well worth the time.

The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community. The aftermath of nonviolence is redemption. The aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation. The aftermath of violence however, are emptiness and bitterness. This is the thing I’m concerned about. Let us fight passionately and unrelentingly for the goals of justice and peace, but let’s be sure that our hands are clean in this struggle. Let us never fight with falsehood and violence and hate and malice, but always fight with love, so that, when the day comes that the walls of segregation have completely crumbled in Montgomery. that we will be able to live with people as their brothers and sisters.

This reminds me of the kids on the playground. One thing that I won't allow from students is when they use as a rationale for bad behavior, "He did it first." or "He started it." Using someone else's bad behavior as a reason for our own only fosters continuing strife. To be honest, true and faithful is a weapon that is very strong indeed.

There’s another thing that Ghana reminds us. I’m coming to the conclusion now. Ghana reminds us that freedom never comes on a silver platter. It’s never easy. Ghana reminds us that whenever you break out of Egypt, you better get ready for stiff backs. You better get ready for some homes to be bombed. You better get ready for some churches to be bombed. You better get ready for a lot of nasty things to be said about you, because you're getting out of Egypt, and, whenever you break aloose from Egypt, the initial response of the Egyptian is bitterness. It never comes with ease. It comes only through the hardness and persistence of life. Ghana reminds us of that. You better get ready to go to prison. When I looked out and saw the prime minister there with his prison cap on that night, that reminded me of that fact, that freedom never comes easy. It comes through hard labor and it comes through toil. It comes through hours of despair and disappointment.

Christians look to the four Gospels as the center and pivotal point of the Bible. The Jewish people look to the story of the Passover and Exodus from Egypt. Both stories are stories of freedom. Freedom from oppression. Freedom from sin. Freedom from the law. Freedom seems to be such an important concept to God. How many voices of freedom have people tried to silence, yet the struggle for freedom goes on.

But something else came to my mind: God comes in the picture even when the Church won’t take a stand. God has injected a principle in this universe. God has said that all men must respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, "And if you don’t do that, I will take charge." It seems this morning that I can hear God speaking. I can hear him speaking throughout the universe, saying, "Be still and know that I am God. And if you don’t stop, if you don’t straighten up, if you don’t stop exploiting people, I’m going to rise up and break the backbone of your power. And your power will be no more!"

I am a Christian and make no apologies for it. But it is a sad fact that throughout history the church has not been one of the strong driving forces from freedom. The church oftentimes has a tendency to try to hold on to prejudices. Change is frightening to the church. In the United States the power and reputation of the church is waning dramatically. (Read the book Dave suggested Unchristian to really see the statistics on that.) As the church has fallen into legalism and oppression instead of the message of freedom in the Gospel, its power has begun to wane.

And I say to you this morning, my friends, rise up and know that, as you struggle for justice, you do not struggle alone, but God struggles with you. And He is working every day. Somehow I can look out, I can look out across the seas and across the universe, and cry out, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored." Then I think about it, because His truth is marching on, and I can sing another chorus: "Hallelujah, glory hallelujah! His truth is marching on."

This goes right along with the discussion on Galatians chapter six. The struggle we face is long, but God's truth is marching on. I sort of envy those brave people who put their lives on the line during the civil rights struggle. But I think with LGBT rights, we are the pioneers that are making the change. We are the ones who also will put our lives, jobs and reputations on the line for the cause of freedom. The generations that follow us I trust will be proud of what we stood up for and accomplished.

[Pablo Rafael]

Originally Posted by antonyh

Dr. King calls us to something else. Nonviolence motivated by love, not bitterness. Can we love ________ as they hatefully oppose our sexual orientation or gender identity while working to defeat the evil in their hearts? Can we live with them as brothers and sisters in beloved community when we win our freedom? Does our activism make this possible?

That is a hard, hard calling, but I find it so liberating.

Love is amazingly liberating, isn't it!
When I can love others, their hatred and prejudices have no power over me. I am no longer bound.

[antonyh]

There’s another thing that Ghana reminds us. I’m coming to the conclusion now. Ghana reminds us that freedom never comes on a silver platter. It’s never easy. Ghana reminds us that whenever you break out of Egypt, you better get ready for stiff backs. You better get ready for some homes to be bombed. You better get ready for some churches to be bombed. You better get ready for a lot of nasty things to be said about you, because you're getting out of Egypt, and, whenever you break aloose from Egypt, the initial response of the Egyptian is bitterness. It never comes with ease. It comes only through the hardness and persistence of life. Ghana reminds us of that. You better get ready to go to prison. When I looked out and saw the prime minister there with his prison cap on that night, that reminded me of that fact, that freedom never comes easy. It comes through hard labor and it comes through toil. It comes through hours of despair and disappointment.

I've been reading this over and over. Freedom comes "through hours of despair and disappointment"; "Freedom never comes on a silver platter"; "It's never easy"; "You better get ready for a lot of nasty things to be said about you"; "It comes through hard labor and it comes through toil"; "It comes through hardness and persistence of life".

December may be a bitterly disappointing month for the LGBT community. It is possible that the Hate Crimes Bill and ENDA will die with the session or by veto (let's hope not, but it is possible).

All the work, all the phone calls, all the struggle and we can't even get a bill that helps keep violence against us at bay.

"It comes through hours of despair and disappointment"

[Vanessa White]

Despair and disappointment.

That is so true, Antony. Even though I am frustrated, it becomes less about anger every day for me, and more about disappointment, sadness at how little many of us are understood, about who we TRULY are.

Despair and disappointment.

This thread reminds me of the one Daniel just posted on "Gay People".

Despair and disappointment.

I really need to strengthen my heart, and my resolve, for this fight.

And, I do indeed, feel stronger every single day......

[antonyh]

Originally Posted by Vanessa White

Despair and disappointment.

That is so true, Antony. Even though I am frustrated, it becomes less about anger every day for me, and more about disappointment, sadness at how little many of us are understood, about who we TRULY are.

Despair and disappointment.

This thread reminds me of the one Daniel just posted on "Gay People".

Despair and disappointment.

I really need to strengthen my heart, and my resolve, for this fight.

And, I do indeed, feel stronger every single day......

That is what is so amazing about Dr. King.

Justice is the aim,
non-violent activism is the means,
love is the motive....

BUT...

It is hard work, difficult work...there is no freedom on a silver platter on this road!

We need to hear this over and over. We need to embrace the disappointment and despair.

[Zerbie]

I just spent forever writing a masterpiece here which is now completely gone into web space. If anyone finds it, please post.

I said a bunch of things about a lot of important topics, and exhausted myself doing so, such that I don't remember what I said anymore.

Something like: King = smart, good, gifted, how'd he do that?
And then something about positive action being the remedy for bitterness and disappointment. Man! It was a really good piece of writing, I was so proud of it!

[antonyh]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

I just spent forever writing a masterpiece here which is now completely gone into web space. If anyone finds it, please post.

I said a bunch of things about a lot of important topics, and exhausted myself doing so, such that I don't remember what I said anymore.

Something like: King = smart, good, gifted, how'd he do that?
And then something about positive action being the remedy for bitterness and disappointment. Man! It was a really good piece of writing, I was so proud of it!

Oh no! I was dying to read your masterpiece. Now I am left to my imagination

[Zerbie]

Yaaa, I spent an hour putting deliberate thought into that post - unlike my usual style of writing to the world in utter spontaneity. An hour! And it evaporated!

Well, after tomorrow I won't be on the road anymore, so I can start over.


I was glad to have down time this afternoon to devote to reading the speech you cited here. What a wonderful example of MLK's skill at educating his listeners while simultaneously inspiring them! More 'bout that coming later, maybe on the weekend.

Antony - I really applaud your dedication to equality. Thank you for sharing these speeches, and thanks for all the research and thought you put into your efforts. I was thinking about that this afternoon - that I am grateful you are here.