Today Is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Celebration

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday celebration and a U.S. “Monday” holiday. I do not know what his actual birthday was because Martin Luther King, Jr.s birthday now floats from Monday to Monday, depending on the year, but I know it is in January. I know it is his birthday today because I tried to do banking today because I forgot that today was his birthday celebration. Perhaps it is because the holiday hasn’t been around long enough that it seems to have little emphasis in the country other than for Black African-Americans.

I told a friend today I thought perhaps to truly acknowledge a day with special significance I could perform some act in honor of the man. She suggested, as the day has been designated a day of service for the black community, volunteering in a homeless shelter or writing something. Since the shelter near me has volunteers signed up long in advance and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday had popped like a balloon in my face, I decided to visit one of my favorite retreats, take photographs and write this bit.

I’ll skip talking about how beautiful a day it was today in California. We have a lot of beautiful days; this was one of them. It was Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and I thought I would spend a little time reviewing information I remember, or think I remember, of his life and career without looking him up on Wikipedia or some other online biographical site. Please feel free to correct any details, I am not checking for correctness.

I seem to remember offhand that he was born in 1939. Why that year sticks in my head is one of those mysteries to which I will never know the answer, but I am pretty sure it was 1939. Two years before the start of World War II. I don’t know where but I make an assumption in saying somewhere in the southern U.S. I know nothing at all about the early years of his life, his mother, his father, his siblings. He had a wife Coretta, and two children. His wife died fairly recently and I do not know what became of his children.

I remember the mention of his name in connection with a place called Selma, but maybe that was someone else. I remember mention of a march, a bus ride, and a strike. I recall sit-ins and peace-ins but I don’t remember whether he had anything to do with any of them. I recall news of his suspicious behavior monitored by the FBI. I do not know if any of the official allegations were based in truth or one of J. Edgar Hoover’s paranoid chases, like the one he had instigated against John Lennon.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who improvised his speeches in poetic form from any pulpit. I remember very clearly his great rolling voice that always seemed to be addressing the listener personally. I remember the “I have a dream” speech. I remember he mentioned the Sierra Nevada and he said again and again, “Let freedom ring.” Martin Luther King, Jr. always spoke for non-violence. I know I still can recite parts of that speech from the memory of its delivery. I know the speech has been turned into a symphonic piece with chorus.

I remember another speech of King’s where he talked about “reaching the promised land” and then he added, “I may not get there with you.’ I do not think Martin Luther King, Jr. was afraid of consequences and I believe he knew the possibilities and consequences of his path.

Then one day, somewhere in the south, Tennessee, I think, Memphis, I believe, somebody named Ray assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr. on a hotel balcony. I remember, much later, the Congress of the United States put together a committee to investigate his killing and that of the Kennedy brothers. The House Select Committee on Assassinations. I seem to remember controversy. Because some believed that his killer acted in concert with unknown other people. I think they caught the killer, but why do I recall an attempted escape. Did the killer escape? Did he belong to cabal of killers?

Why did he want to kill Martin Luther King, Jr.? What did the killer fear? I wondered when I heard of the assassination whether the killer had ever heard Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice? I believe the killer must have feared an idea because Martin Luther King, Jr. always spoke of non-violence toward your fellow man.

In the wake of his assassination I seem to recall several riots. Were there riots following the death of a spokesman for non-violence?

After his death many cities renamed streets Martin Luther King Boulevard, which inevitably was shortened to MLK.

What I recall about this man who brought to consciousness a light of non-violent equality seems pitifully insignificant and I know there are those who believe that itself is too much remembrance. There are still those who believe in their own superiority by reason of the color of their skins, any color, any skin. There are still those who believe in the superiority of their belief form structure, any form, any structure. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in egalitarianism. He believed it could be practiced without violence.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday celebration and I would like to encourage you to think about egalitarianism. I would also like you to think about non-violence. I would like to request that you think about your own concept of equality and solutions to social disparities. I would also like you to think about love.

Today is the official United States holiday in celebration of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today I will not shorten his name.