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Dr. King's Economic Dream Deferred
Forty-two years ago, on April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee. To those of us who were alive then, the images are etched in painful memory: One day, Dr. King is standing with colleagues, including Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel; the next, he's lying there mortally wounded, his aides pointing in the direction of the rifle shot.
Then we remember the crowds of mourners slowly moving through the streets of Atlanta on a hot sunny day, surrounding King's casket as it was carried on a mule-drawn farm wagon; and the riots that burned across the nation in the wake of his death -- a stinging, misbegotten rebuke to his gospel of nonviolence.
We sanctify his memory now, name streets and schools after him, made his birthday a national holiday. But in April 1968, as Dr. King walked out on that motel balcony, his reputation was under assault. The glory days of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and the 1963 March on Washington were behind him, his Nobel Peace Prize already in the past.
A year before, at Riverside Church in New York, he had spoken out -- eloquently -- against the war in Vietnam. King said, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," a position that angered President Lyndon Johnson, many of King's fellow civil rights leaders and influential newspapers. The Washington Post charged that King had, "diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country, and to his people."
With his popularity in decline, an exhausted, stressed and depressed Martin Luther King, Jr., turned his attention to economic injustice. He reminded the country that his March on Washington five years earlier had not been for civil rights alone but "a campaign for jobs and income, because we felt that the economic question was the most crucial that black people and poor people, generally, were confronting." Now, King was building what he called the Poor People's Campaign to confront nationwide inequalities in jobs, pay and housing.
But he had to prove that he could still be an effective leader, and so he came to Memphis, in support of a strike by that city's African-American garbage men. Eleven hundred sanitation workers had walked off the job after two had died in a tragic accident, crushed by a garbage truck's compactor. The garbage men were fed up -- treated with contempt as they performed a filthy and unrewarding job, paid so badly that 40 percent of them were on welfare, called "boy" by white supervisors. Their picket signs were simple and eloquent: "I AM A MAN."
A few weeks into their strike, which had been met with opposition and violence, Dr. King arrived for meetings and addressed a rally. Ten days later, he returned to lead a march through the streets of Memphis that ended in smashed windows, gunshots and tear gas.
Upset by the violence, he came back to the city one more time to try to put things right. The night before his death, King made his famous "Mountaintop" speech, prophetically telling an audience, "Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!"
The next night he was dead. Twelve days later, the strike was settled, the garbage men's union was recognized and the city of Memphis begrudgingly agreed to increase their pay, at first by a dime an hour, and later, an extra nickel.
That paltry sum would also be prophetic. All these decades later, little has changed when it comes to economic equality. If anything, the recent economic meltdown and recession have made the injustice of poverty even more profound, especially in a society where the top percentile enjoys undreamed of prosperity.
Unemployment among African-Americans is nearly double that of whites, according to the National Urban League's latest "State of Black America" report. Black men and women in this country make 62 cents on the dollar earned by whites. Less than half of black and Hispanic families own homes and they are three times more likely to live below the poverty line.
The non-partisan group United for a Fair Economy has issued a report that features Martin Luther King, Jr., on the cover with the title, "State of the Dream 2010: Drained." Dr. King's dream is in jeopardy, the report's authors write, "The Great Recession has pulled the plug on communities of color, draining jobs and homes at alarming rates while exacerbating persistent inequalities of wealth and income."
Nor will a recovery ameliorate the crisis. "A rising tide does not lift all boats," United for a Fair Economy's report goes on to say, "because the public policies, economic structures, and unwritten rules of racism form mountains and ridgelines, and hills and valleys that shape our economic landscape. As a result, a rising economic tide fills the rivers and reservoirs of some, while leaving others dry and parched."
This is a perilous moment. The individualist, greed-driven free-market ideology that both our major parties have pursued is at odds with what most Americans really care about. Popular support for either party has struck bottom, as more and more agree that growing inequality is bad for the country, that corporations have too much power, that money in politics has corrupted our system, and that working families and poor communities need and deserve help because the free market has failed to generate shared prosperity -- its famous unseen hand has become a closed fist.
It is hard to overstate the consequences of choosing more of the same -- the very policies that have sundered our social contract. But hear the judgment of Nobel Laureate Kenneth Arrow, echoing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and martyrdom. "The vast inequalities of income weaken a society's sense of mutual concern," Arrow said. "...The sense that we are all members of the social order is vital to the meaning of civilization."
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57 Comments so far
Show AllAs the famous adage goes: "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Globalization has rendered the concept of nation, country and society obsolete. All humanity anywhere is now simply the lowest common denominator for serving the interests of corporate power.
Yeah, I had an abstract realization that the USA was now one of many worker colonies around the world over 25 years ago, but it's only recently that it's becoming an organic reality and thus functional in my daily activities. But I wouldn't say at this time that nations are obsolete. To me they are still viable organizing and negotiating tools. A major problem of course is that negotiators/lobbyists for Global Corp are sitting where negotiators for the US Worker should be sitting; if this problem were to be resolved I wonder if that would be the demise of Global Corp as more organic humanity would be recognized as opposed to the prevailing predominately inhumane Global Corp abstract thinking.
Globalization is just a modern "weasel word" for EMPIRE; & the nation-state (especially a democratic-republic) is the traditional/historical enemy of empire. The 2 cannot coexist. The one MUST displace the other. It's why we've been at war (within & without) with EMPIRE for two and a half centuries...& it STILL isn't over; & We The People have lost most of the battles.The wars since WWII have been arranged by our imperial enemies to destroy US by bleeding our blood & treasure, and corrupting our constitutionally organized society with a nat'l secuity (police) state; also morally corrupting us with such evil/useless wars.
The only real war being waged is the unacknowledged one...Class War.
And the class that is winning owns the major media outlets so it doesn't mention the Class War.
Absolutely.
Try to keep up. Faux News has been saying for several years now that mentioning that there's a class war is to commit the unpardonable sin of waging it. This meme has extraordinary traction among their flock.
Oh, no! Please, tell me I don't have to watch Faux News to keep up!
Having just watched the Moyers show, I would disagree with your statement that the "only real war being waged is the unacknowledged one...class war." One of the points of the show is that blacks are singled out from whites in many ways: discrimination in law enforcement, sentencing, and access to legal help to name three. Seventy percent of black men are caught up in the gears of the legal system. Once someone is branded a felon, then all kinds of discrimination can be practiced including deprivation of voting rights.
Republicans in particular have worked to create this situation in which white working class poor are cut off from potential black allies; but the notion of "class war." No one--not blacks or whites--will accept the characterization of American social conflict in terms of "class war." That term is only bandied about by white intellectuals who have read Marx.
During my years moving furniture, many good friends were white American workers who hated their bosses along with a river of people they called "sellouts" for cooperating with the bosses, and they didn't to read Marx or bandy many terms that were not obscene to be angry about getting mistreated after day and year after year.
As a group, they had no question that they got mistreated for being workers, and as a group they were angry about it.
Some were racist, but some were not. They could have had clearer notions of solidarity, but I didn't find it described much better when I did get to college. With the possible exception of a single one, each asserted and showed respect for the Black and foreign colleagues that they knew personally because these men put in a square day of work and put their bodies on the line to help us as we did them and it would be pretty hard to understand the work and not understand that.
Failure to recognize the reality of solidarity between races, nationalities, and nations does not mean that it ceases to exist. Failure to understand all the implications of membership in a class does not remove one from the class. Failure for all to understand their participation in a conflict does not necessarily even reduce the conflict itself.
Corporate heads are far more cognizant of class war than are workers. They just call it something else when they rail against progressive taxation and social programs.
The "only war"? No, I wouldn't say that. But I doubt I can find a war in which it does not play a part.
Rascism is a construct that is encouraged by those at high levels in corporations and government to assure that their divide and conquer strategy keeps all workers from acknowledging the ever widening US class divide.
The fundamental transaction in human life is an economic transaction, "where two are gathered together" the primary objectives are protection and increase, both require economic solution. The failure of a society's economy to create and provide work for its citizens is a failure of that society.
African Americans have been laudably patient with this President. They have spoken eloquently to the problems of unemployment and the disparity that continues to exist between classes and races of people. The suffering endured by African Americans throughout American History perhaps is the origin of this patience.
The patience of African Americans and others disenfranchised by massive concentrations of wealth, acquired not by ingenuity and enterprise but manipulation and favoritism, is not endless. Our economy must be "restructured" built around the human and social needs of the future. Our financial system must be restructured to provide fair and equitable access to capital at all levels of society. This alone would be a tremendous boost in growing our economy. Langston Hughes left the question of a "Dream deferred" open to future generations, and the answer may lie in Kennedy's exhortation..."The Work goes on"...
Transition
Society is not the problem. It resides in our educational system and in government.
Obama and the government cannot solve black unemployment any more than they can solve disparity between classes.
The he and they should be removed. Their employment is pointless, meaningless.
I would disagree with the post above that the most important transaction between people is economic. It is not economic but genetic. It has to do with reproduction and genes. Evolutionary biology tells us humans are tribal. They work to secure advantages for their tribe. You may read "race" for "tribe" if you wish. What that means is, African Americans will support Obama no matter what he does. He is seen to be a member of their tribe so they will support him even if his policies do nothing to help them out. People do not make decisions according to rational criteria but according to evolutionary pressures they are not even aware of. The sort of "good" side to all this is the old white guys are dying out and younger blacks and Hispanics are reproducing rapidly. The result will be a more progressive politics--at least in the long run.
Tavis Smiley had a special on PBS last week on Dr. King and he mentioned that DR. King was preparing another speech as he was assasinated.
The topic was "How the United States may go to hell."
For the evil that the United States has done, to others as well as to its own peoples, may is not the right word. It is going to hell.
The Republicans are taking the US to hell at 100 mph and the Democrats are jealous because they are only taking the US to hell at 90 mph. The Dems are trying hard to accelerate their efforts to match the speed of the Republicans.
raydelcamino
Nancy and Barack are busy attaching a Supercharger. If Harry could Reid, we'd be in more trouble. (couldn't resist)
Dr. Moyers is being too nice with the Obama administration and the American people by saying that King's economic dream has been deferred. I see racism not only from white people but also from Asian Americans who take racial equality for granted. If anything, King's dream has been crushed and buried permanently. Please read below for my explanation and experience for proof.
Some of my own family members and relatives cannot resist calling blacks and latinos all sorts of names just to show their frustrations they may have had with a couple of them. When they say it, I feel uncomfortable talking to them again. After Obama took office, his name would be used to degrade a poor black that they thought was trying to get free food. My parents always get into a habit of saying "Poor Obama, those white Republicans are trying to cause trouble" and then contradict that with something like "Those poor lazy blacks should learn from the Obamas. See? They came up by themselves." They hate affirmative action and think that it spoiled blacks.
I am glad that Bill Moyers mentioned free markets because this is another weakness of the Obama supporters. They will claim Republicans to be the only racists but when Obama pushes for more free markets, they talk ruthlessly like Reagan. Talk to my sister about the benefits of single payer and she'll do Reagan speak claiming that people should be made to buy insurance. I asked her why she thinks that the same insurance companies who gave her a hard time should be given a free pass and she and my other brainless cousin keep saying that insurance companies will automatically be taken care of ! And get this. One of my cousin's friends who works for a big bank teams up with my mother and sister and brings out their new definition of "single payer" by saying this "Ranjit, if you want single payer then make your money grow in the market and you'll be rich enough ! Now be a good boy and read the Wall Street Journal or no single payer for you !" I try to ask them to sit down and remember what they used to think about poverty from too much abuse from Wall Street back when Bush was in office but they get wackier and keep trying to lecture me that Obama is taking care of everything and that this time the free market will be all right !
Interesting post. I've never heard a description of the discourse on this issue among Asians. Thanks.
What makes you so sure that "Asian Americans take racial equality for granted?" I see Asian Americans discriminated against just as, if not more than any of the other 'minorities' and your observation is flawed it best and racist at worst.
I have the experience and others to prove you wrong. Nowhere did I say all Asian Americans. I have seen Asian Americans being discriminated against as well but not as badly as blacks and Latinos. Among the Asian Americans being discriminated against are the darker skinned ones but even they don't feel the same pain. Have you actually talked to Asian Americans being discriminated against to see what they felt? I didn't think so. Try again.
You seem angry. I suppose I might be as well if someone insinuated that I might be a racist. It matters not that you didn’t say ‘all’ Asian Americans; the spirit of your post remains; uninformed, delusional, or perhaps merely naïve. Most of my closest friends are Asians. Half of my family are Asians. I live in an area with a large population of Asians so I have a pretty informed perspective and you obviously don’t. You might want to allow the people you question to answer rather than answer for them in a manner that supports your argument because it’s just childish. Have a nice evening.
I don't mind people questioning my argument but calling me racist I detest. If you really live in an area of a large population of Asians, you would already know that most of them don't have to worry so much about racial discrimination compared to blacks and Latinos. You don't have any informed perspectives from your lofty replies and I have every right to be pissed off at your ignorance and stupidity. If Asians are discriminated so much as you say, then why aren't there many articles about that compared to most articles describing the discrimination against blacks and Latinos and why are the right wingers being so nice to Asian Americans? Try again.
Dr. King did not speak for just one or two races but included all races. There is a lot of discrimination against Asian Americans that neither the right nor the left want to discuss for each of their political reasons. The discrimination Asian Americans face is subtle but nonetheless intense. My wife, who is Indian American but white, faces just as much discrimination as do African Americans and Latinos but affirmative action does little to help Asian Americans. "Set" must also be referring to discrimination within different groups of Asian Americans themselves (e.g. Chinese vs Indians). In addition to my wife, I have met Asian Americans who were very depressed and angry after being used for brain drain but getting paid less.
I don't dispute the fact that Asian Americans face discrimination too but we do have our weaknesses of taking our advantages for granted. I am sorry to hear what happened to your wife and I wish her the best of luck. Thanks for the polite reply.
I find it rather amusing that you are “pissed off” at my “ignorance and stupidity” as evidenced by my “lofty replies.” Why don’t you lose a few hours of sleep tonight while you’re at it? Additionally, your “try agains” at the end of your posts only serve to make you think you haven’t already lost the argument, when, in fact, you lost it with your initial post.
Racism permeates the American landscape. All people have to deal with this injustice on so many intricate and obscure levels that for any individual, such as you, to make the and broad sweeping statement that, “Asian Americans take racial equality for granted” is absurd, arrogant, and insensitive. No thoughtful human being would make a racist statement such as this. Until you are able to realize that your statement is racist, you will remain ignorant of your own racism and I don’t feel the need to “try again” because you, my friend, are blind to the fact that this is racism in its purest form, easily identifiable to any considerate human being. Try to get some sleep.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but you are one ignorant hypocrite who refuses to see all sides of the story. Most Asian Americans do take racial equality for granted when you discuss race with them up close and personal. They were given some advantages over blacks and latinos as well as disadvantages too. I have the knowledge and experience to prove my statements while you don't. I'm sorry that you can't accept your own failures to see through the divide and conquer.
Sticks and stones… am I debating a child? Have you even read my posts or even the main story? You, sir, are the one relying on hominem to support a futile position that your pride won’t allow you to even consider the possibility that you’re wrong. Instead, you continue to dig yourself deeper into a hole, making you even less able to look around you and see how wrong you are.
You are the one who refuses to see all sides of the story as evidenced by you initial racist statement and your continued stubborn defense of it. I have never once made the insensitive comment that a specific race is more negatively or positively affected than another; I merely observed the obvious racist tone in your statement, “Asian Americans take racial equality for granted.”
This is the data from the city I live in. I believe it’s at least close, although I have heard that Hispanics recently accounted for over 50 percent in a city that now has a Hispanic mayor.
Races in Los Angeles:
• Hispanic (46.5%)
• White Non-Hispanic (29.7%)
• Other race (25.7%)
• Black (11.2%)
• Two or more races (5.2%)
• Filipino (2.7%)
• Korean (2.5%)
• Chinese (1.7%)
• American Indian (1.4%)
• Japanese (1.0%)
• Other Asian (0.9%)
• Asian Indian (0.7%)
• Vietnamese (0.5%)
Now, if you can accept the concept that racism might greater affect the races that appear less in numbers, you might be able to understand why your argument is so weak. It appears that the Asians are quite outnumbered and therefore possibly more affected by unfair, insensitive, and ignorance based treatment by people, such as you, who would have the audacity to make a racist statement and then continue to defend and repeat it without any evidence, although you so arrogantly continue to state, “I have the knowledge and experience to prove my statements.” So prove your statements and quit thinking that ad hominem attacks and baseless boasting support your position. And, while you’re at it please provide some evidence to support your claim that, “They [Asians] were given some advantages over Blacks and Latinos.”
L.A. is one of those unique places where more cultural diversity and conflicts can occur. Most places in the country don't have anything close to that share of Asian Americans. Ranjit is right as far as Asian Americans living in the rural areas is concerned. A typical redneck is least likely to show his or her hate on Asian American as they would on a black American. Out here in MS, most Asian Americans I talked to are nice and don't expect much but they are satisfied even if they are exploited on brains and expectations. Perhaps if they lived where there was the kind of diversity found in L.A. they might speak up.
L.A. is unique and so is every area on the planet. I imagine there is more cultural diversity here, but conflicts involving racism can occur in Mississippi or any other geographical location. If you believe Ranjit is right as far as Asian Americans living in the rural areas, then perhaps you could provide some evidence to support his claim that you agree with that, “They [Asians] were given some advantages over Blacks and Latinos.” Do you also believe his statement; “Asian Americans take racial equality for granted” is not a blatant example of racism? If he were to limit the scope of this group to his own family and circle of friends, I would have to believe him and would not take issue to his experience, but to state what he wrote about an entire race is arrogant, insensitive, and ignorant.
The main point I’m trying to make is that generalizations are rarely if ever accurate or fair to the person or group being generalized. I believe it’s obvious to any thoughtful person that his statements are racist to the core. Ranjit’s claims arrogantly trivialize the racial experience of an entire group of people and I find it offensive especially without the proof he claims to have derived from his extensive knowledge and experience.
Here's a link you might like to read before or if you decide to respond.
http://www.asian-nation.org/racism.shtml
Ranjit: I am not sure I agree with you. Asian Americans quite often are regarded as outsiders (as foreigners) and so do not even have the "status" of being seen as being at least an American-born black person.
I don't disagree with what you said completely but in some ways they too take some rights for granted. It seems that there is a divide and conquer being worked out among races to keep the elite class happy as can be. Thanks for the polite response.
Great post Ranjit, some folks cannot handle the truth.
And then there are those who don't even know what truth is, or even possess the capacity to look beyond there own pain to see the others suffering from the same ignorance based injustices, so they blindly lash out in some sort of desperate attempt to inflict pain, thinking it will ease their own, but it never does.
Speak for yourself.
I was speaking for myself, in the hope that people like you might see the fallacy of the conclusions drawn from their sketchy "experience and knowledge."
During the 1960s , the Social progress that was made depended a lot on the sense of Justice amongst people at large, along with people using what was then a Court system much more willing to defend Constitutional rights.
Those in power retreated to lick their wounds (Only after they had assassinated all of the leaders of the movemnets for Social Justice) and then ensured they brought to power Governments that would slowly whittle away the rights inherent in the Constitution so that the people would not be able to garner this sort of power again.
This started with getting the right people into the various supreme courts and ended with various "Terrorist" events that gave the Government the cover needed to erode the Constitution.
The underlying reason the social revolution of the 60's ultimately failed is that the SYSTEM remained in place and those that owned the system retained their power.
Today they feel they have all their ducks in a row. The Courts are onboard with their agenda. The Congress, the Senate, the President. The Police forces. The Military. The media. Unions are busted. Workers at GM take a massive paycut in order to "save their jobs" while those that run the banks get a massive bailout and pay themselves bonuses.
They openly flaunt their new found power because THIS time they feel they own it all.
GwNorth
"During the 1960s , the Social progress that was made depended a lot on the sense of Justice amongst people at large, along with people using what was then a Court system much more willing to defend Constitutional rights."
Pretty good comment.
"Workers at GM take a massive paycut in order to "save their jobs"
The Union employee's at GM lost not one red cent in benefits or salary. The retirees took the hit. Lets not shed tears for the folks working at GM. They don't deserve it.
Don't you just know that THAT is when they'll fall hard & catastrophically; when they're crowing "I'm on top of the world!".
A very nice lady just called from DNC to solicit money for upcoming elections. !
I told her the reasons I won't vote for any Democrats is the reason I won't vote for any Republicans...
She believed the Pres had gotten 16 bills passed on behalf of average Americans. That jobs had been created by being saved by TARP. I said everything that is being done is being done weakly by the Dems if it's for people, but that most of what is getting done is on behalf of megacorporations and corporate cartels, but ...
She said re credit cards, now the companies have to disclose how long it will take to pay off the balance. I said well the Dems helped legalize usury and so big deal now they have to disclose it will take FOREVER to pay off a balance which we already know!
The #1 reason I said I will never vote for Dems is their part in the killing of people in THEIR countries.
She said she did not have time to get into things with me, she had to call other people and it was obvious there was nothing she could say to convince me. I said it would be nice if I could convince you!
donnalou
Good for you!
None of them seem to have time for you if you don't Pony up.
Wow, at least you tried. Elections are at the core of our evils. Am glad you spoke up. I was just ready to comment and then yours was added after I signed in. Isn't it amazing that 'they' get volunteers whilst our side is mostly divided as to whether we should compromise or not at election time? Nice post. Reminds me of an encounter I had in 2000 in Manhattan with someone campaigning for Hillary. She ended up walking away from me. Too many people live subservient to the TV God.
Join the Green Party ... That is the only way to wake the Democrats up. Thats' the only way to get your message to them ... I'm voting with my feet!
Blessings on your patience.
Good for you, Donnalou! As long as Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber are focused on wars and preparation for same, nothing will get accomplished but more deaths, imjuries and madness, both here and worldwide.
"A plague o' both their houses!!!"
I agree with you, donnalou!
Don't vote for any Democrats or Republicans if they don't share your values.
But above all do vote!
Why? As far as I can tell, over in the over 200 years of the existence of this country, voting hasn't really done anything to get us where we need to be. I submit to you that this system has produced real and substantive change so rarely, that those times stand out in the nation's history (13th-15th ammendments to the Constitution, the New Deal, etc.). If voting was able to really change this system, it would be abolished. So, please, allow me to amend your post, phasor.
Don't vote for Democrats or Republicans or anyone. Focus your efforts on doing good work locally. But above all, refrain from voting!
It's possible to work in or outside the system.
MLK was a genius at working outside the system. His was the most eloquent voice I have ever heard (I continue to read his speeches and am awed by them). He was able to change people's minds and hearts. He had an extraordinary clarity of perception of our world as it was(is).
For the vast majority of Americans there the is one and only one political avenue of expression that can produce a difference and that is, yes, a vote.
In America, your vote will never be taken away. Voting equals democracy. Use it or lose it!