KHH1

*From TIME Magazine*
Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player. He is also a celebrated author, filmmaker and education ambassador.

His legacy may be most in danger from those who admire him
I have mixed emotions about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For me, it’s a time of hopeful celebration — but also of cautionary vigilance. I celebrate an extraordinary man of courage and conviction and his remarkable achievements and hope that I can behave in a manner that honors his sacrifices. And while Dr. King still has his delusional detractors, who have a dream of dismissing his impact on history, it’s not them I worry about.

Why? Because it’s tempting to use this day as a cultural canonization of the man through well-meaning speeches rather than as a call to practice his teachings through direct action.

For some, the fact that we have Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a confirmation that the war has been won, that racism has been eliminated. That we have overcome. But we have to look at the civil rights movement like antibiotics: Just because some of the symptoms of racism are clearing up, you don’t stop taking the medicine or the malady returns even stronger than before. Recent events make clear that the disease of racism is still infecting our culture and that Martin Luther King Jr. Day needs to be a rallying cry to continue fighting the disease rather than just a pat on the back for what’s been accomplished.

History has a tendency to commemorate the very thing it wishes to obfuscate. When you convince people that they’ve won, they lose some of their fire over injustice, their passion to challenge the status quo. In Alan Bennett’s brilliant play, The History Boys, one of the teachers explains to his students why a World War I monument to the dead soldiers isn’t really honoring them, but rather keeping people from demanding answers as to how Britain unnecessarily contributed to the cause of the war and is therefore responsible for their deaths. By appealing to our emotional sense of loss, the government’s monument distracts the people from holding the hidden villains responsible. The teacher says, “And all the mourning has veiled the truth. It’s not lest we forget, but lest we remember. That’s what this [war memorial] is about … Because there’s no better way of forgetting something than by commemorating it.”

One of the major debates this year has been whether or not racism exists anymore in America. Not surprisingly, polls indicate that most African Americans say yes it does exist while most white Americans say that it doesn’t. Blacks point to disproportionate prosecution and persecution of blacks by authorities, and whites point to President Obama and dozens of laws protecting and promoting minorities.

They are both right. There are plenty of laws and government agencies dedicated to eradicating racism. America has made it a priority. Affirmative-action programs have created more opportunities for minorities, sometimes at the expense of whites seeking those same opportunities. That should be acknowledged and appreciated.

But suppressing racism is like pressing on a balloon: you flatten one end and it bulges somewhere else. Racism has gone covert. For example, the Republican effort to pass laws demanding IDs to combat voter fraud is itself fraudulent and racist. It is a form of poll tax, which was outlawed in the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The poll tax was designed to keep blacks from voting, as is the voter ID. It costs money and time away from work, which is too great a burden for the poor, many of whom are minorities. The justification given is to stop voter fraud. However, a recent study concluded that out of 1 billion votes cast, there have been only 31 incidents of voter fraud.

The reason whites don’t agree that racism is rampant is because most of them aren’t personally racist, and they resent the blanket accusation. In fact, they see themselves as victims of reverse racism. They, too, are right. Dr. King would have acknowledged their pain and fought to alleviate it by reminding us not to confuse institutional racism with the good hearts of our neighbors. The civil rights movement would not have achieved as much as it has without the support and sacrifice of white America.

Dr. King would have been proud to see so many people across America — white and black — joining together to demand accountability in the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. He would have praised the millions who marched in France in support of freedom of speech. As he once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

He would have also been disturbed by the violence and rioting that has occurred during these protests. We must remember that Dr. King’s cause was not just equality for all people, but achieving that equality through nonviolence. The ends do not justify the means; the means and the ends are the same. Violence insults his legacy. To him, anything won through force is not won at all — it is loss. He wanted equality achieved through love because he wanted to win over his enemies, not defeat them. As he said: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” His goal was to cleanse the community, not to cleave it.

Martin Luther King Jr. was only 39 years old at the time of his assassination nearly 47 years ago. When he died, those whom he had inspired were there to pick up the banner of the cause and continue marching. “I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land!” he told us. “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.”

Forty-seven years later, we must continue stepping lively, not in his name but for his cause.

rkevin Loc: florida

Ferguson [KHH1], set the black cause back to before MLK made such a great, peaceful impression on America. When the pro-administration, OWS movement merged with the MB, MOB, CPUSA, SPUSA, CPA, SPA, CAIR, ACORN, ISIS and the New Black Panther Party, to memorialize a black gang-banger coward thug who just strong-arm robbed a grocery store, physically intimidated a tiny Asian clerk and then tried to grab a police officers gun to possibly kill [him], while [Brown's] step-father calls for Ferguson [and America] to "burn," I see nothing to the current movement but hate white America!!!

Shame on those who support cop-killing, looting, rioting vandalizing and the "demonstrating," that covers-up the crime and tries to legitimize race-baiting communist/socialist liberal progressives who are now fully supporting the "movement!!!" "Liberalism," is now, DOA!!!

Kachina

While I think MLK was one of the greatest men in history. I have to disagree with you on a couple of things. I don't think the problem is race. I think it is a problem of black culture blaming race card for its failures. You cannot tell me that there is nothing wrong with your culture. The majority of crime in this country is done by black men, especially young men, and most of their victims are other black individuals in their community. High number of unwed pregnancy and children growing up without a father to discipline and steer their children in the right direction. THere is more violence in black communities then in any other culture. There have been great black people who have risen up and become great, successful citizens. They had the drive to succeed and probably had a father figure in their life. Unfortunately instead of looking for solutions to your cultural problems, you listen to a common criminal like Sharpton who does more to inflame Rioting and race relations then anyone in history. Personally I am sorry to tell you this because I know you are just going to argue and disagree, but it is not that whites hate blacks, because we don't. It is more that there are many blacks that have little self respect. I hope as a culture we can come together to heal what race issues there might be, and fix the culture of The black community. You have overcome the problems facing your culture to become a successful contributing member of society. You have commanded respect and isolation from both blacks and whites. How did you become such a great man, reach out and help teach and mentor other black youth. I am sorry. I know this post will anger you, but this is What I see.

Kachina

I meant to say that you command respect and are idolized by both whites and blacks.

Babsan

Al Sharpton has to make money and SHAKEDOWNS are HIS specialty and earns millions that way plus pays NO taxes because he is a DEMONrat

KHH1

**Well...if a few can set the cause back then the cause was never there in the first place.......especially according to outsiders....as so far as the protests are concerned, one cannot tell others how to feel...it that were the case, the civil war would be viewed as an act of treason and would bring shame on all who dare view it in any dignified manner**

KHH1

**what you people call black culture is not black culture...it is like saying poor whites who live in trailer parks on welfare, addicted to meth and beating their spouses is white culture. Whites who travel outside of a narrow social realm understand as much and have witnessed black families like theirs, black professionals like them, black kids who excel in school and are college prepared at 16. They understand that black life depicted on the "Cosby's" is not imaginary. I think the rest want to highlight black failure and ignorance as culture with assistance from the media, but view pathological whites as individuals....that is why my life and upbringing is a lie according to them**

oz89 Loc: California

You have some valid points, There are some major issues within the black community but those issues are not unique to just the black community. There are poor White and Hispanic single mothers that are their kids mom and dad, that have made the decision not to bring another child into this world, that are doing the best that they can with the resources that they have. There are fathers of white and Hispanics kid that could not tell you there kids name if you don't tell it to them first. There are White and Hispanics kids that are committing crimes and killing there own race as well. People tend to commit crimes where they feel safe enough to do so. There is more news coverage of the issues in the black community than in other communities, because it serves a purpose to those that use those outlets to get a desired outcome. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist else where, it just means that a small amount of people want you to focus only on this area. Just like a magician only wants you to focus where he directs you to focus then you don't see what is really happening.

KHH1

Exactly....in OPP alone the focus is exclusively on black people in that regard. Great post-couldn't have expressed that sentiment any better myself.
:thumbup:

WhosetheBoss Loc: Arkansas

The only points Mr Abdul-Jabbar seems to make are 1, do not forget the reality that nothing is won yet by honoring MLK birthday, and 2, voter ID amounts to pol taxes and should continue to be legal. I have not one problem at all with point one, but point two, his views are inaccurate when Obama collects 115% of the votes in certain states, when he claims it could only be 1 of a billion and the US population is less then .5 billion. At a day and time when the number of votes become impossible to verify after the fact, the only solution becomes ID'ing people as their votes are cast, and ID is required for everything you do, from checking out a book to picking up a subscription. As I see it the only reason to not have voter ID is to allow for voter fraud.

Kachina

This is very true. There is a problem across America that I believe starts with broken families and absent fathers. I was specifically responding to his African American post. It is a known fact though that the known neighborhoods that are predominantly black or very low income white neighborhoods are where most of the crime exists. Ask any cop that fact or just google what demographic of people do the most crime.

KHH1

**It is a low income thing..middle and upper class neighborhoods for any racial makeup experience lower rates of crime...unlike some portrayals**

Cadillac

I always have a hard time listening to Jabbar talking about racism. It's like the pot calling the kettle black. Jabbar is a Black Muslim. Everybody knows that Black Muslims are anti-White and anti Jew. Actually a better term for them is that they are racist.

So Jabbar before you discuss White racism you have to acknowledge your Racist life style.

KHH1

*The pot calling the kettle BLACK...is that anything like the Ritz calling the Saltine a cracker?*

Cadillac

You know damn well that Jabbar is a racist. He is a Black Muslim and you know it's a fact. Black Muslims do not hide the fact that thay hate White people and they are anti-Jew . It's a fact I don't know why you support him. Unless your a racist like him. Don't bother responding to me I'm not interested in dealing with a racist.