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Heeding the clarion call of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Some 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led us in the direction toward a more just and peaceful and world. King changed the world, along with hundreds of thousands of ordinary people who were inspired by his vision, courage and leadership.
People were moved into action by King’s words - his elegant, wise, visionary words. Through King, people came to believe that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and that “he who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it.”
The Civil Rights movement, King, President Lyndon B. Johnson and enlightened Members of Congress accomplished much in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with major advancements following.
And then, after King’s assassination in 1968, the strength of the progresssive movement for justice waned. Social changes of the 60's and 70's resulted in a backlash and a wave of conservativism.
Imagine where we would be now if we'd heeded King’s call more diligently. We’d have progressed much further toward achieving liberty and justice for all. There is much that must still must be done.
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Many with financial and social advantages leverage their assets to achieve more for themselves, their families and their peers while many people who are poor and socially disadvantaged remain stuck, or fall behind. We’re thrilled by success stories, the most spectacular being the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Sadly, statistics show this is the exception, not the rule.
“There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society, who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it,” said King.
In his famous speech on April 4, 1967 in Riverside Church in New York City, King said, “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
We’ve made progress in many areas but remain mired in excessive materialism and insufficient humanitarianism. Many of the hateful rants of right wing extremists are loaded with racism to the point of being dangerous. Militarism is draining our country’s financial resources and causing incomprehensible suffering for those soldiers and families directly affected. Most of us have not had to sacrifice and can remain relatively detached.
President Obama continually echoes King’s message of hope and possibility, and our President continually reminds us that he can’t do it alone, that we must all do our part.
America is now at a tipping point. We can progress toward realizing King’s dream, or we can regress into further inequality and social strife. Now is the time to make a commitment to make a difference.
“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,” said King. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” “The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood”.
In addition to being an exceptional leader in spiritual politics, King was also a brilliant strategist and a scholar. He warned us that “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Besides being inspired and willing to serve, we need to be well informed and smart.
Believe we can transform America! Believe the clarion call from some 40 years ago of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Believe we can make the long term, systemic changes needed to create a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.
King taught us that “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
“Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
With audacious faith, Phyllis Stenerson , a “disciplined nonconformist”
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968 - The grandson of a slave, and the son and grandson of Baptist ministers, the great civil rights leader was born in 1929 and attended Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University. As pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, he rose to prominence during the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 and the desegregation campaign in Birmingham in 1963. The author of numerous books, he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington in 1963 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year at the age of thirty-five. He continued his nonviolent protest against discrimination, poverty, and the war in Vietnam, until his assassination on April 4, 1968. In 1983, the anniversary of his birth, January 15, was designated a federal holiday.
Further reading
"I Have a Dream" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963
"Letter From a Birmingham Jail" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 16, 1963
"A More Perfect Union" - speech by Senator Barack Obama, candidate for U. S. President - March 18, 2008 articleID=136
"President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address", January 20, 2009
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Quotations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - you are invited to broadly share this wisdom
"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society, with a large segment of people in that society, who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have a stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it."
"I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered." from "Beyond Vietnam," an address delivered to the Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam, at Riverside Church, New York City on April 4, 1967
"A time comes when silence in betrayal. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world....
Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us....
We must move past indecision to action. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight. Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves in the long and bitter, but beautiful struggle for a new world...." from "Beyond Vietnam"
“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood”.
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it."
“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
“Difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
"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."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." from "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." from "Strength to Love," 1963
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter."
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
Many articles and commentaries about progessive values, worldview and narrative have been posted recently. click here For excerpts click here
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Charter for Compassion to unify, inspire and bring compassion back into the hearts of society - Compassion manifests itself in the world not by thinking but by doing. People around the world are acting through a project initiated by Karen Armstrong and supported by spiritual leaders internationally. Help connect them with one clear message. Read about the project, add your signature to the affirmation and participate in raising consciousness about the power of compassion.
ProgressiveValues.org is in the startup stage and wants to "merge" with a well-established progressive non-profit organization. Our mission is to communicate a worldview based on progressive values so citizens will commit to work for a progressive vision for America. Other domain names owned are SpiritualPolitics.org, ProgressiveWorldview.org, EducatingForCitizenship.com and WiseThoughts.com
Entrepreneurship Opportunity - Paideia LLC is a not-for-profit-only micro-business founded and owned by Phyllis Stenerson, entrepreneur and progressive activist. The company creates and markets Paideia* products to communicate progressive values as seen at www.ProgressiveValues.org. Paideia is a registered trademark for our communication products. Paideia is seeking "partnerships" to help get these products that communicate a progressive worldview into the American culture and influence public opinion.
Contact Phyllis at 612.331.1929 or Phyllis@progressivevalues.org
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| ProgressiveValues.org's mission is to help Americans understand the progressive ideas on which our country was founded and to articulate a progressive narrative based on these moral values. I'm convinced that when people go beneath the day-to-day chatter and consider our country's core principles, and contrast the progressive worldview with today's conservative extremist worldview, they'll choose to work for a progressive vision for America's future.
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Paideia (pu-dye'-uh) is an ancient Greek philosophy of
educating for citizenship to create an ideal society.
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