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harassment hate inspiring literal nazis racism violence

Remembering Martin Luther King’s courage

Martin Luther King after being hit by a rock during a demonstration in Chicago, 1966
Martin Luther King after being hit by a rock during a demonstration in Chicago, 1966

Today is Martin Luther King day here in the United States. In remembering Dr. King’s legacy, alas, his story is sometimes reduced to a few simplistic soundbites, and we forget how much of a struggle his famous struggle really was.

The one thing no one seems to want to remember is how much opposition there was to King and his message, and how ugly and violent and hateful this opposition was.

King and his family faced real threats and real harassment on a daily basis. He was subject to real violence, yet continued to preach a message of nonviolence.

As a reminder of the courage it took to be Martin Luther King, here’s an account of a march he led in Chicago in 1966, taken from Rick Perlstein’s book Nixonland. (Content warning: Racist language, violence.)

August 5. Six hundred open-housing activists, ten thousand counterdemonstrators. Some wore Nazi helmets. Others waved Confederate battle flags, carried George Wallace banners, swastika placards that helpfully explained THE SYMBOL OF WHITE POWER.

Martin Luther King, Mahalia Jackson by his side, led his legions forth: “We are bound for the promised land!”

“Kill those niggers!”

“We want Martin Luther Coon!”

Police trying to keep the two sides apart were screamed at: “Nigger-loving cops!” “God, I hate niggers and nigger-lovers,” a reporter overheard an old lady say.

Martin Luther King walked past.

“Kill him! Kill him!”

“Roses are red, violets are black, King would look good with a knife in his back.”

Instead he got a baseball-size rock above his ear. He slumped to the ground—the Gandhian moment of truth. … King got up and kept on marching. We shall overcome.

The racist mob continued to pelt the demonstrators with rocks and bottles, many of them aimed at King. Some 30 others were injured.

Why did King put himself at such risk? “I have to do this–to expose myself–to bring this hate into the open,” he later explained.

He also, as a result of his activism in Chicago, got local real estate agents to agree to abide by the city’s fair housing ordinance. Not a dramatic concession, but a meaningful one, and one that illustrated the kind of everyday discrimination that blacks faced in America.

This is what a real civil rights hero looks like.

EDIT: Here’s some footage of one of King’s marches in Chicago, and a Chicago Tribune video about King’s Chicago activism. The footage here is supposedly of King’s march in Gage Park; the march described above took place in Marquette Park, where he got an even more hostile reception.

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freemage
freemage
10 years ago

Thanks for this.

Charlotte
Charlotte
10 years ago

What? You’re not gonna go after AVFM’s video on MLK they made today? I’m sure they may have said or done something to piss you off. They always do.

kittehserf
10 years ago

Fuck off, Charlotte, if that’s the best you can say. You like racists, hmm? Doesn’t surprise me.

kittehserf
10 years ago

Given “Charlotte” is an MRA troll, zie wouldn’t think there were worst bits.

sparky
sparky
10 years ago

What kind of troll trolls a thread about Martin Luther King, Jr?

kittehserf
10 years ago

At a guess, one who’s a bigotries clusterfuck.

hellkell
hellkell
10 years ago

Charlotte, you suck.

Robert Ramirez
10 years ago

There are better things to do to honor Dr. King rather than watch a video produced by a hate group that twist everything that Dr. King stood for to bolster their screwball ego’s and hate group.

It is absolutely disgusting that they are even mentioning Dr. King just so they may use his memory to promote their hate.

Shame on them!

opheliamonarch
10 years ago

See, I was just going to say to David thanks for the thoughtful post, then I saw Charlotte.

@Kitteh, re the Buddhism thing, do you think the whole ‘Engaged’ aspect of ‘Engaged Buddhism’ would cover a situation like this? I mean, I really want to get back to the Buddhist thing (even with it’s flaws) but, but, fucking MRAs, fucking Charlotte!

::mutter, mutter::

Yeah, I reckon ‘Engaged” could cover telling fuckwits to fuck off, not a contradiction AT ALL.
I mean that wanking libertarian Buddhist said he could loophole a prostitute into the Buddha’s teachings, surely one ‘fuck off fuck head’ wouldn’t hurt?

Also David thanks for the thoughtful post.

Charlotte
Charlotte
10 years ago

I wasn’t trolling, that was a serious question. I imagined you guys would’ve loved to see Futrelle find yet another excuse to thrash AVFM. So how bout you knock it off.

serrana
serrana
10 years ago

How ’bout you not tell the blog owner here what to write?

sparky
sparky
10 years ago

Charlotte, you are complaining that David wrote a nice, respectful post about Dr. King and not one “thrashing” AVFM. You are the one whining. You knock it off.

kittehserf
10 years ago

I had to look up Engaged Buddhism, but from a quick reading of its precepts I’d go with the first one that points out it’s a guide, not an absolute truth … I dunno, I’m just not into the Be Nice teachings when it comes to these turds.

kittehserf
10 years ago

Go do your fanboy/fangirl/whatever schtick with Elam, “Charlotte”. Or have you been banned there for posting under a female nym?

Anyone with decency is outraged or disgusted by Elam. That you apparently aren’t and can’t understand it says all we need to know about you.

pineapplecookies
pineapplecookies
10 years ago

There is no excuse needed in order to trash AVFM.

David: very nice post! MLK is really one to admire and remember.

Charlotte
Charlotte
10 years ago

Funny, I thought was supposed to be against bullying, yet you guys seem to be pretty eager to use it against anyone who even steps the slightest bit out of line.

Ally S
10 years ago

Calling out != bullying

sparky
sparky
10 years ago

Stop whining, Charlotte.

Adam
Adam
10 years ago

I think Malcolm X deserves more credit than he gets as well. I admire both immensely, but I feel like he’s been pushed aside over the years by white liberals who were made uncomfortable by his (quite justifiable and even important) more aggressive attitude.

sparky
sparky
10 years ago

” Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail


http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

kittehserf
10 years ago

Whine, whine, whine, Charlotte. It’s a one-note song with you.

Sam-I-Was?
Sam-I-Was?
10 years ago

Thank you David, the injustices of the past, and unfortunately the current, can’t be brought to light too often. Dr. King had amazing courage to do what he did and we all can only hope to live up to his dream. The most recent generation by far is baffled and disgusted by what happened in the past. Hopefully they will be the force to continue change in the future.

Charlotte, go pound salt.

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