His moving and powerful speech is also a chilling harbinger for events that affected his own life as well as those affecting ours today. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for this, Ryan. “We’ve got some difficult days ahead” was true then, it’s true today, it’s always true. However we come through this, the work is never done. We need “constant vigilance,” as Molly Ivins called it. MLK Jr. did it so well, every day he did the work, he never took his eyes off the prize. Today is a good day to remember that and keep working.
Thank you for lifting up this speech. For you and any here who aren’t aware of Michael Motley and his One Mic Black Histories, I strongly recommend subscribing and also following his Substack notes: https://substack.com/@onemichistory/posts
That powerful speech still to this day brings tears to my eyes as we all face our current "difficult days." However depressing and scary the news is, we must be aware of what is happening to our country and do our best, in whatever small or large ways we can, to help restore our democracy while there is still a little bit of time. We are in peril, and we must acknowledge that and dig our way out of it.
Today, after reading your post today, Dr. Ryan, and listening to that speech again, it would be a good time to read or reread Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
And while we are experiencing justifiable fear for our country, we must acknowledge the millions of good people who are calling their legislators, standing on bridges with their pro-democracy signs, attending rallies, and contributing whatever time or money they can to all the pro-democracy organizations that are clinging to the hope that We the People can decide whether our country will remain a democracy for the next generations or whether we will sit back and let it become a dictatorship, a totalitarian state run by evil, cruel people. Just look at the horrors happening in Iran right now, and in our own state of Minnesota. People there are being counseled to protest peacefully, and despite the provocations, they so far are, but the federal government is doing everything it can to make the crowds turn violent so The Monster can declare martial law and send federal troops to quell it.
Two good places to go to for news and for suggestions for actions we all can take are Robert Hubbell's "Today's Edition Newsletter" and Jessica Craven's "Chop Wood, Carry Water." There are many other Substack authors who are keeping us informed and encouraging us to action.
Another place to go is where you can watch the daily reports about the Buddhist monks' March for Peace. Facebook has a page for that, and a page for their wonderful dog called Aloka (which means "light"), who is recovering, miraculously quickly, from back knee TPLO surgery and is expected to rejoin the monks fairly soon. His Facebook page is Aloka the Peace Dog. The images and videos of the 19 monks on their 2,300 walk from Fort Worth, TX, to Washington, D.C., are heartwarming. As they pass the hundreds of people who line their paths, who often give the monks flowers, who then give the flowers to other onlookers or gifts to children or invalids along the way, you can see the emotions of the people, who are deeply affected by the experience. It is a joyful way to get your mind off our troubles and be thankful for what the monks and their dog are doing: simply walking for peace. It is too bad there is not a Nobel Peace Prize for 19 monks and a dog.
His moving and powerful speech is also a chilling harbinger for events that affected his own life as well as those affecting ours today. Thank you for sharing this.
Your words are poetry for us. Thank you.
Excellent. Thank you for your words!
Thank you for this, Ryan. “We’ve got some difficult days ahead” was true then, it’s true today, it’s always true. However we come through this, the work is never done. We need “constant vigilance,” as Molly Ivins called it. MLK Jr. did it so well, every day he did the work, he never took his eyes off the prize. Today is a good day to remember that and keep working.
Thanks you for your beautiful narrative.
Thank you for lifting up this speech. For you and any here who aren’t aware of Michael Motley and his One Mic Black Histories, I strongly recommend subscribing and also following his Substack notes: https://substack.com/@onemichistory/posts
Ryan, this is a great piece of writing to introduce Dr. King’s speech, and I think it is one of his most timely for today.
Imagine if this speech played in place of all the commercials during this weekend’s NFL playoff games.
Just imagine if it were played over and over again instead of the commercials during tonight’s college football championship game.
It would drive the convicted felon nuts.
We are in need of a national leader today like Dr. King—someone who can inspire and unite Americans in the fight against this madness.
Dr. King’s words are just as poignant in America today as they were in 1968.
Have a great week and all the best to you and the family.
That powerful speech still to this day brings tears to my eyes as we all face our current "difficult days." However depressing and scary the news is, we must be aware of what is happening to our country and do our best, in whatever small or large ways we can, to help restore our democracy while there is still a little bit of time. We are in peril, and we must acknowledge that and dig our way out of it.
Today, after reading your post today, Dr. Ryan, and listening to that speech again, it would be a good time to read or reread Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
Here's the link: https://letterfromjail.com/
And while we are experiencing justifiable fear for our country, we must acknowledge the millions of good people who are calling their legislators, standing on bridges with their pro-democracy signs, attending rallies, and contributing whatever time or money they can to all the pro-democracy organizations that are clinging to the hope that We the People can decide whether our country will remain a democracy for the next generations or whether we will sit back and let it become a dictatorship, a totalitarian state run by evil, cruel people. Just look at the horrors happening in Iran right now, and in our own state of Minnesota. People there are being counseled to protest peacefully, and despite the provocations, they so far are, but the federal government is doing everything it can to make the crowds turn violent so The Monster can declare martial law and send federal troops to quell it.
Continued from the above comment:
Two good places to go to for news and for suggestions for actions we all can take are Robert Hubbell's "Today's Edition Newsletter" and Jessica Craven's "Chop Wood, Carry Water." There are many other Substack authors who are keeping us informed and encouraging us to action.
Another place to go is where you can watch the daily reports about the Buddhist monks' March for Peace. Facebook has a page for that, and a page for their wonderful dog called Aloka (which means "light"), who is recovering, miraculously quickly, from back knee TPLO surgery and is expected to rejoin the monks fairly soon. His Facebook page is Aloka the Peace Dog. The images and videos of the 19 monks on their 2,300 walk from Fort Worth, TX, to Washington, D.C., are heartwarming. As they pass the hundreds of people who line their paths, who often give the monks flowers, who then give the flowers to other onlookers or gifts to children or invalids along the way, you can see the emotions of the people, who are deeply affected by the experience. It is a joyful way to get your mind off our troubles and be thankful for what the monks and their dog are doing: simply walking for peace. It is too bad there is not a Nobel Peace Prize for 19 monks and a dog.