Felicia Benamon

Date Added: Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

On the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's death, it's important to stop and realize what must be done to make our country more and more what Dr. King would approve of. Better yet, we should realize what Jesus Christ, Dr. King's Lord and Savior, would approve of.  Are we the nation that has come together and completely healed?  Not altogether.  America has definitely improved, and we continue to stride for a better society; we continue to strive against the odds.
 
At this time, America and the world pauses to honor a man who fought and died for many of the freedoms America enjoys today.  Yes it is good that persons of color are now able to run for the office of the president. We've come far. But there are problems the US has to address. Not as a certain group of people, but together, as one...a family.
 
There are educational problems to address, problems with drug use, sexual promiscuity, the breakdown of the family, etc.  All of those factors certainly play a strong role in how healthy a nation becomes in the future.  We have to stop and ask ourselves, "Is this what Dr. King envisioned for us?"
 
This week, here in Memphis, the local news media is interviewing several influential people in the black community and those who knew Martin Luther King Jr. personally. One close friend of Dr. King, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, stood out to me as he said something profound. As Dr. Hooks reflected on the kind of man Dr. King was, he gave a tearful plea: 

"If MLK opened a library, use it.  If the NAACP gave you a book, read it.  If the Urban League opened a door for a job, take it. Get up. Get your body straight. Get off drugs and alcohol and dope. Get up in the morning and go to work, take care of your body. Take care of your wife. Love and respect your children. Respect your womanhood.  Respect America for what it has done, but more than that, for what it can do."--Dr. Benjamin Hooks, 04/01/08  
Read more of Dr. Hooks' thought provoking interview here:
( http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=8098658 )

Dr. Hooks' message rings similar to other wise and influential leaders like Dr. Bill Cosby.  Dr. Cosby has addressed black audiences in his effort to bring to light many problems the black community faces. In the book, "Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors," (written by Dr. Alvin Poussaint and Dr. Bill Cosby) Cosby makes a rallying cry for blacks in America to get it together.  He addresses major concerns that are causing the downfall in the black community and then, gives encouragement, urging the reader to rise beyond the circumstances...to make the move "from victims to victors." Although Cosby is speaking to the black community, his words are beneficial to America as a whole. 
 
Messages of hope that emanate from leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Bill Cosby, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, and Dr. Benjamin Hooks should sink into the hearts of the American public. These men are but a small group of many honorable, strong black men who work to educate the public to reach for and work for a better day.  They are the leaders who continue to carry on the torch of freedom and model of morality (respect for your fellow man, etc.), personal responsibility, justice, and equality as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did.
 
Americans of all backgrounds should follow the example of these black leaders.  Use your freedoms wisely. Don't think your freedoms were gained by folk who sat back and watched the world go by.  No, those who have come before us paid many a price for us to be where we are today.  But there is still much to accomplish.  So let us pull ourselves up, and get to work. That is how we honor those who've gone before us.
  
America, come together as a family. That's the way Dr. King would have wanted it. 

Related Reading:
 
Tavis Smiley Show in Memphis
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/ 
 
Martin Luther King Jr.: Honoring the Dream
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/content/mlk/default.aspx
 
National Civil Rights Museum-Events
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/newsevents/events.asp
 

Come on People!: On the Path from Victims to Victors   by Dr. Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint
http://www.amazon.com/Come-People-Path-Victims-Victors/dp/1595550925