Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In a world that seems incredibly shy of well-spoken (ahem) visionaries, it is heartening to me that we have set aside a day to remember and celebrate the life of a leader, unparalleled in the fight for civil rights, who is also one of the greatest orators our country ever produced: Martin Luther King, Jr. To that end, I thought it would be fitting for each of the Reds to share their favorite quote by the Reverend with their thoughts on why it has meaning for them. 

JENN McKINLAY: Here is mine. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I love these words. To me, they are a trumpet call to my courage, which in times of strife wants to crouch deep inside of me, hiding from disapproval and ostracism. But this sentiment reminds me to be accountable for my action and inaction. It makes me straighten my wobbly legs, stiffen my spine, and stand up strong and tall for what I know is right even if it is met with derision and scorn. 

LUCY BURDETTE: Once you start reading them over, it's hard to choose. He was so wise. Losing him was tragic. But here's one I love because the world seems so filled with darkness and rage right now. The temptation is to give in to that, but we mustn't:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." 

I think is why Oprah's speech was such a rousing success last week!

INGRID THOFT: My favorite MLK quote is one that seems especially apt these days: 

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

I cling to this quote as a reminder that fairness and goodness are the defaults to which we can return, if we persevere. 
Another quote caught my eye when I was making my choice:

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal." 

The universe may bend toward justice, but we must be diligent and attentive citizens to help it on its way.

RHYS BOWEN:
It is hard to choose a favorite quote because so many of them seem so apt right now. Like the one that says "nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance."

But the one that has always resonated with me is "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

What a wonderful man. It's good to be reminded that there are people of great wisdom and humility and godliness in the world.

HALLIE EPHRON: When I read quotes from Martin Luther King, I hear his soaring voice with its majestic cadences… and also remember the context of the fight for desegregation and against the Vietnam War. It still surprises me how much…and how little has changed. The “I have a dream” speech is loaded with inspiration and calls to action: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I had a moving experience a few years back when, visiting family in DC, Ross and I took our kids and our two young nephews to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which had just opened up two years previously. We arrived after dark, and walked past the huge stone to see the image of Dr. King emerging from the mountain. He stands with his arms crossed, looking directly across the Tidal Basin towards the Jefferson Memorial, as if challenging the slaveholder who was the architect of liberty.

The walls around the statue are lined with Dr. King's quotes, and we walked about, reading them aloud and discussing them with our nephews. It felt like a great honor to be there, which is probably the best definition of a memorial I can think of.

JENN: Julia, you wrote two fabulous pieces about Martin Luther King, Jr. I enjoyed both immensely while I was going back through the Jungle Reds archive. I am putting the links here for our readers to revisit:

http://www.jungleredwriters.com/2016/01/on-martin-luther-king-day.html

http://www.jungleredwriters.com/2014/01/heroes-holiday.html

JULIA: As for quotes, my favorite piece of Dr. King's writing is "Letter from Birmingham Jail," a treatise on nonviolent resistance that rivals Gandhi "Satyagraha." This stands out for me, especially - as many of us have noted - in these times. 

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Jonathan was at the I Have A Dream speech! Amazing. Though I’m not sure how many people waaaaay back in the crowd could actually hear. We watched a PBS show about Peter Paul and Mary the other night—and of course they sang there. It must have been extraordinary. And we talked about what a moment in time that was. It also shows how one person can make a difference, and a whole lot of ‘one persons’ can make a difference, too. And that at every turn, we need to make decisions, big and small. Whether its writing the next words in a manuscript, or deciding how to react, or learning to forgive, or taking a stand. Not everything we do is of global importance, certainly. But we can have faith and strength and goals on our own.  As Dr. King said:
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hank, that last quote made me think of what Pope Francis (another of my heroes) said in his New Year's speech about the small actions of ordinary people, praising "...all those persons who, every day, contribute with small but precious gestures to the common good, who seek to do their duty as well as possible." 

As for Dr. King, what a difficult choice. So much of his writing is both humbling and inspiring--and unsettling, as I'm sure he meant it to be. But two stand out for me particularly. This one, as we deal with a loss of reason in the face of "fake news": "Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think." And this one, so timely in our era of constant social media mudslinging: "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

What about you, dear Readers? What quotes by the late Dr. King inspire you? Or do you have another quote or motto that guides you?