CHIMES OF FREEDOM

The Freedom Bell which resides in the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge. his file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Senojor1

by Stefan Schindler

William James, Mark Twain, I. F. Stone.  Emma Goldman, Helen Keller, Molly Ivins.  Jim Hightower, John Pilger, William Blum.  Lewis Lapham, Michael Parenti, Victor Wallis.  Vandana Shiva, Joan Baez, Naomi Klein.  Ami Goodman, Abby Martin, Daniel Berrigan.

David Talbot, James Douglass, Thich Nhat Hanh.  Oscar Romero, the Dalai Lama, Dan Ellsberg.  And, of course, Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn.  These are just a few of the torch-bearers of the spirit of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King and John Lennon.

Peace is possible.  Progress has been made.  Meanwhile, the struggle continues.

A crisis can be ongoing and deepening for a very long time.  This has been the case with the USA for forty years at least.  1968 might well be seen as the pivot point.  The full and fatal swerve toward economic apartheid and the rollback of FDR’s New Deal began in earnest in 1981 with Reaganomics.  The hammer-blows against social enlightenment have kept the war machine in full throttle and kept too many Americans in thrall to sloganeering and sophistry.

The earth groans, bees disappear, and in 2020 the wasteland grows.

But danger is also opportunity.  Breakdown is often breakthrough.

Behind the news there is a global dance.  A collective invitation to give peace a chance.

What is true for the individual is true for the whole.  Fate is determined by the choices we make.  Let us use our freedom wisely.  What Kant said at the end of the 18th century is true now: “We live in an age of enlightenment; but we do not yet live in an enlightened age.”

Perhaps the essence of life really is learning and service.  Siddhartha Gautama, Meister Eckhart and Thomas Merton thought so.  I believe it too.

Keep the faith, my friend.  We may yet be on the verge of something great.  A turning of the civilizational wheel toward the wisdom of James and Twain and company.  You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

Beside every great man is…

Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter sing with Andrew Young and Coretta Scott King, together with Martin Luther King, Sr and other civil rights leaders during a visit to Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In the public domain. Photographer: White House Staff Photographers

by Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.

Note from Kathie MM: In this month during which we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., it is a pleasure to honor also another wonderful role model for peace and social justice, Coretta Scott King–the great woman not behind but beside the great man.

A special word of praise and gratitude is deserved for Coretta Scott-King (April 27, 1927-January 30, 2006), wife and life partner of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., for 15 years, and an icon in her own right. Their partnership altered the history and future of the United States.

Coretta Scott-King was a tireless partner, and co-worker for civil rights and social change. She continued Reverend King’s work following his assassination, and assumed new responsibilities deserving recognition and honor.

A talented musical artist, Mrs. King graduated from highly respected Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she majored in music and education; she then went on to the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in voice and violin. It was in Boston she met Reverend King, who was studying for his doctorate at Boston University. They were married on June 18, 1953.

Ms. King was active in developing many freedom music and poetry concerts; she was imbued with the spirit of human dignity, rights, and opportunities; she was a partner in Reverend King’s efforts. She joined Reverend King in national and global struggles for freedom, traveling with him on his many trips to Africa, Europe, and India.  She was an international leader, organizing numerous international conferences, coalitions, and peace and human rights marches, gatherings, and demonstrations.

Throughout her marriage, Coretta Scott-King was an active partner with Reverend King in advancing the cause of racial justice and non-violence. Mrs.King was anointed with the calling to heal  abuse, violence, and injustice in the USA and across the world. Following Reverend King’s death, Coretta Scott-King continued advocating for justice, equality, and freedom.  

Coretta Scott-King is buried next to her husband in Atlanta, Georgia, in the national shrine which she helped develop: The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Ms. King was the force behind the successful drive to declare Reverend King’s birthday a national holiday.  Clearly, more should be done to honor Coretta Scott-King for her personal contributions, and for her many contributions to Reverend King’s efforts to create a more peaceful and just society.   

Learn more here.  

MORE THAN AN “ICON” . . .

By Anthony J. Marsella

Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) is the most important historical figure of the 20th and 21rst centuries, the indisputable enduring icon of modern times.  There are many brave individuals whose contributions have advanced the human condition, often with similar tragic personal and social results.  However, the more I have studied King’s substantial national and international legacy, the more I have become convinced King is the more than the defining “icon” of our times.   His legacy remains an implacable force and influence long after his passing fifty years ago. In my opinion, this is because King assumed many roles and functions whose consequences continue to endure. 

 The fact is King was (is) more than a relentless courageous civil rights leader whose efforts promoted justice, equality, freedom, and hope for all humanity. He challenged and altered illegal time-endowed values, beliefs, policies, and crimes.

A leader in many roles, King was: 

 • A minister accustomed to offering inspiring and arousing sermons sensitive to moral issues, especially the failure of idealized religious beliefs and practices to address societal failures and flaws.  Reformer!

 • An anti-war activist and advocate questioning individual and national pursuits of violence and war. Anti – War Activist !

 • A statesman, offering political, economic, and social visions for a “new” world free of oppression and abuse, governed by laws, democratic participation, ethical and moral codes, and personal conscience. Statesman!

 • A global leader who liberated citizens around the world from their chains of domestic and foreign governmental oppression. He enlightened minds and aroused souls to use non-violence against oppression. Liberator!

 • A living embodiment of human conscience, replete with struggles and pains of abuse and flaws. Conscience!

 • A symbol of for justice, especially the role of justice in moderating positive goals like peace, harmony, and accord, and contesting negative repressive actions. Symbol! 

 • An intellectual well-versed in the historical and situational determinants of individual and national behavior, including pseudo-rationalizations for beliefs and actions. Intellectual! 

 • A leader capable of mobilizing citizen support of millions across racial and class boundaries in of his beliefs and “dreams,” offering a new vision of what is possible! Visionary!

 • A prophet, emerging at a point in history, demanding revolution in thought and actions. Prophet!

King was persecuted and assassinated, much as other revolutionary prophets have been abused and murdered across history. King’s enduring contributions require that he be placed among the prophets. Chart 1 displays some of the King’s roles, functions, and legacies:

CHART 1: REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S

MANY ROLES, FUNCTIONS, AND LEGACIES