Instead of a traditional civil rights march or commemoration ceremony, there will be dueling events vying for the memory of Dr. King, and offering two very different visions for America. Stage left is none other than Glen Beck, poised to offer his own speech on "restoring honor" to America. The tea party will be there by busload. Though they will hardly bring the presence Dr. King's famous march drew, they will no doubt get attention. And as King III notes, "it is clear from the timing and location that the rally's organizers present this event as also honoring the ideals and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr." King III avoids condemning Beck's march, but rather urges everyone to honor the original vision his father offered. He reminds as that his father's vision wasn't just for racial equality, but was about "putting millions of unemployed Americans to work, rebuilding our tattered infrastructure and reforms to reduce pollution and better care for the environment". King III avoids chastising Mr. Beck's rally. I won't. I expect we will hear what we always hear from Mr. Beck - a message of fear. Now this vision may hidden in many themes - protecting our troops, needing accountability from our elected officials, being leery of lefty communis 'activists'. But at its root is the same idea - the world is a scary place, and you better take care of yourself because someone (the government, or someone who looks different) is out to get you. If MLK's dream was of community, of overcoming adversity together, Beck preaches a message of every man for himself. If Dr. King preached hope, Mr. Beck preaches fear. Luckily, he won't be the only voice that day. Celebrate the Dream has organized an event to honor the true meaning of this historic anniversary. This event will feature a 4 story depiction of Dr. King interwoven with some of his famous quotes. The art project will be featured just feet from Beck's rally, and will literally put him in the shadows.  But beyond August 28th, beyond the day and the dueling rallies, there is a bigger movement afoot. A movement that will honor MLK and his whole vision. This movement, called One Nation Coming Together, will bring hundreds of thousands of people together on October 2 in Washington, DC to promote a vision of jobs, justice, and education. In other words, continuing the great work of MLK, and bringing a nation together once again. Though the March is on a Saturday, Jewish Funds for Justice has been involved and is looking for key ways to promote the vision and alternative actions to our communities. We hope, if we all continue to work together, this day, and this movement, will not commemorate ideals of the path, but capture the vision we share for our future. |
