Reply to MLK memorial: Can't a black man have a decent memorial?

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Reply to "MLK memorial: Can't a black man have a decent memorial?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As a black woman, I hate it. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

MLK was about non-violence and peace. His statue looks angry and intolerant. [/quote]

I understand and respect your point of view. However, I also think that MLK's image has been sanitized and softened over the past 40 years. A younger generation is taught that he was a "dreamer". He was actually a warrior for justice, not just a dreamer for justice. He defiantly challenged the status quo of segregation and discrimination that was deeply embedded in our country. Many people think that his fight is over. I think he would be defiant and yes, very angry today as he looked out over DC. Not just in terms of the instituitional racism that still exists today, but also the  poverty and inequality that exists for poor people of all races. He was planning a Poor People's Campaign that would have essentially shut down DC when he was assassinated. I think he was a far more complex figure than the image we have of him today. I like the memorial. Give it another look.[/quote]

I agree that MLK was defiant in the face of opposition, [b]but he was not militan[/b]t. He was not a "Black Power" sort of freedom fighter and he did not seek to gain rights through violence. [b]I also don't like that his arms are crossed because it makes him looks obstinate[/b]. His memorial would be more fitting to the likes of Malcolm X.[/quote]
 
I don't think anger and obstinance necessarily equate to violence. I don't think he would ever achieved what he did without certainly being obstinate, determined and angry. He gave his life for the cause. He does not need to be emasculated in order to be honored. Here is a quote from one of his speeches:

"It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges."

This is a lesser-cited quote from his "I have a dream speech". Sounds pretty militant to me. Regardless of the memorial, I hope we can teach our children more about who he really was and what he really stood for. Creating real change requires far more than inspirational speeches, but I fear that all our younger generations know about him is that he made speeches, got arrested a couple of times and now black people have civil rights.

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