Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2005 > December > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USChanges should make ‘06 King Day more inclusive
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everybody’s invited.
Robbie S. Moore wants that understood.
Her group, the United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County, is spreading the word about the 2006 King Day Celebration, which takes place Jan. 16. The march, from the Historic Courthouse in downtown Lawrenceville to Central Gwinnett High School, begins at 10 a.m. At the school, a guest speaker will reflect on the man, his life and his dream.
The news release reached me via e-mail. It asks that AJC Gwinnett News run information about the celebration in our calendar listing as many times as possible. Organizers want to prevent a repeat of what happened last time.
Remember?
Last Jan. 18, I wrote about the lack of white attendance at the United Ebony Society’s celebration as well as one held at Shiloh High. I wondered why. Dozens of readers responded. Some of you said you viewed the recognition of King as a “black holiday.” Others said you’d attended programs in the past and failed to see a purpose. And a few said that you simply didn’t feel welcome.
Few, though, were as blunt as Paul Smith, a reader from Buford.
“The King Day rhetoric from some of your leaders is very much anti-white,” he wrote. “African-American leadership will take the platforms of America during King Week to blast our president, the “white leadership” and “white establishment” of America. Many in the black community use this time of media attention not to uphold the honor and integrity of Dr. King, but to stress some social agenda (abortion rights, gay marriage) that will alienate many Anglos.
“I would like to hear more speeches and see more activities relating to the true vision of Dr. King. The vision and belief where he stated: ‘A man should not be judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.’ Until this happens, you will witness the King Holiday as a black holiday.”
Apparently what Smith and others said resonated with Moore and her troops. Changes have been made. Changes to better publicize the event, give it purpose and make it all-inclusive.
“This isn’t a black thing,” Moore, the society’s president, told me. “It’s a community thing.
“We are definitely inviting everybody in Gwinnett County to participate. We are trying to encourage as much openness, participation and unity as we can. We’re trying so hard to get information out and get people involved from the community.”
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Keeping the Dream Alive Through Caring and Giving.” Those who attend are asked to bring canned goods to donate to the cupboards of Gwinnett’s cooperative ministries.
“Helping poor people was the kind of thing King did,” Moore said. “We want as many people from churches and schools to participate as possible.”
I know how holidays can be. Many of us would prefer to do absolutely zilch. Nothing wrong with that.
But I received e-mails and calls from people from different racial backgrounds who promised that they’d get off the couch for King Day 2006. Especially if changes to the program were made.
Well, the United Ebony Society has done its part. Let’s turn out and see what it has dreamt up.
Maybe we’ll learn something.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By FedUp
December 11, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
I DO judge men by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. That’s why I won’t be participating.
By Bruce Wilcox
December 11, 2005 11:33 AM | Link to this
And how do you judge yourself?
By CK
December 11, 2005 11:58 AM | Link to this
There are Anglos that believe that the message Dr. King promoted was one of integrity and equality. It has always been quite frustrating for me to feel like I shouldn’t be celebrating his message. The pressure not to celebrate seems to come from the black community more than my own peers, which is really ironic. I’m made to feel out of the message because I am not black.
Case in point, a couple of friends took their parents to see the Dr. King Memorial. When they stopped in downtown Atlanta to ask for directions the African American gentleman they queried raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why do you want to go there?”.
The answer, honestly, is that there are many Anglos who want to honor the legacy of all great people, regardless of their skin color.
By LM
December 11, 2005 12:24 PM | Link to this
Dr. King is one of the most influential man that has ever lived. He gave his live for freedom and justice for all; his live and memory should be celebrated by all people. He deserves that much and more! Let’s get out January 16 and show our graditude.
By Dave Oliver
December 11, 2005 01:22 PM | Link to this
No doubt that Dr. Martin L. King’s actions gave birth to a movement that swept our nation. Too bad that the Blacks want no part of the Anglo crowd during their celebrations. I for one will stay miles away from any march or gathering sponsored by the Ebony Socity or any other Tottaly black organization. I can take a hint, and I hope they have a rousing good time bashing those that do not agree with their agenda.
By NLE
December 11, 2005 04:03 PM | Link to this
I really appreciate the invitation. This is the first time I, as a caucasian, have felt like wanting to attend and I think it is a great step forward for the Black community to reach out. Those of us who worked back in the ‘60’s to support Dr. King’s dream and his message ended up feeling unappreciated and unwanted for 40 years which only defeated what Dr. King stood for. It is really nice that we’ve finally been asked the obvious - to contribute rather than be excluded. I’ve got it on my calendar. Thanks for the catalyst Rick.
By Michael H. Smith
December 11, 2005 04:04 PM | Link to this
Stop living the Nightmare dare to Dream.
Martin Luther King had a dream. His dream lives on beyond the grave for many and for far too many, America continues living in the national Nightmare.
Are we as Americans, of the franchised and of the disenfranchised, of the hyphened and of the un-hyphened, big enough or humble enough, to stop living the Nightmare?
At least for just, one day?
Words from an Irish white guy
Early morning, April 4 Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride
In the name of love What more in the name of love…
By Ernest Blevins
December 11, 2005 05:08 PM | Link to this
The problem, particulary in the South, is King’s Federal holiday has overlapped previous State holidays (such as Georgia) which recognized the 3rd Monday in January for Robert E. Lee’s birthday (19 January). Therefore, many already feel slighted that the holdaiy is, at least, not recognized at Robet E. Lee/Martin Luther King day (in order of creation of the holiday). Further offense is given to this that now State employees get the day after Thanksgiving off as the official Robert E. Lee day — by far too far away from his birthday and not properly recongized by the State.
By Just Wondering
December 12, 2005 11:14 AM | Link to this
Where’s the holiday for those that matter?
By joe
December 12, 2005 01:20 PM | Link to this
The black community should be reaching out to not just white folks, but all the different racial communities in Gwinnett. Dr. King wanted the nation to come together, this holiday is used by some black folks to isolate themselves.
By Sonny
December 12, 2005 03:35 PM | Link to this
I took my children to the Atlanta MLK Parade a few years ago, and felt quite uncomfortable, and concerned for our safety. Instead of feeling love for my fellow man, we were frequently bumped into, had racial slurs hurled at us. “Whitey, are you lost” was common. Another would say, ” Whitey, this is our holiday”. As a result I will never attend another “celebration”. I thought Dr. King wanted equality for all. It appears his own race prefer to be a separate entity in this society. Now I’m wondering if they are better off than they were in the 1960s.
By Chandra Shpak
December 12, 2005 04:21 PM | Link to this
Hello… I am a junior at Meadowcreek High School and I lived in Norcross for 4 years. My mother is russian and yugoslavian and my father is african american. I have extremely light skin so it’s harder to tell that I’m mixed. When I try to participate in an activity such as the one hosted at Shiloh High, I get weird looks and attitude like I don’t belong there. Meadowcreek High is a predominantly African American school where there attitude excludes other students from events like this. I would love to go to King Day because even though I’m half it means as much to me as it does to someone who is completely black.
By Iris Shpak
December 12, 2005 04:51 PM | Link to this
I am from California so when I watched the Civil Rights movement while growing up in the 60’s it was from a different perspective than from watching it from within the South. However, these conditions did not exist solely in the South (as non-southerners would like to believe sometimes) and L.A. had its Watts Riots during that time (Watts would be comparable to the SWATS here in Atlanta).
I could never fully understand why people would do these things to each other and what color had to do with it. Many years later with a lot of education on our country’s history and politics, even though I “know” why these things happened, I still don’t understand them. There are many of us white people, and other colors, that feel this way and I would hope that we would be made to feel welcome at these events. After all, that was the whole point that Dr. King was trying to make.
I feel comfortable enough to live in the section of Norcross that is not just predominantly black, but one of the most racially diverse in the state and it is where I feel most comfortable living. I also felt comfortable enough to give birth to the “mixed” daughter in the previous response. I usually don’t get a negative reponse from black people, or others, because the most important thing is to simply look at the other person like they are a person and not a threat. And that goes both ways. It also makes it hard to say hateful things to other people when you fully acknowledge them as a human being. I truly hope that the Ebony Society attains their goal this year to welcome all people to celebrate the life and beliefs of Dr. Martin Luther King. He should be honored by all of us.