Sunday, January 18, 2009
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
Today isn't just the eve of the historic inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. It is the day we celebrate the life and contributions of one of our greatest Americans and champions of freedom and justice for not just people of color, but for ALL Americans.
Before Barack, he set the tone as one of our greatest orators of all time. This speech still gives me chills!
How appropriate that we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration. Dr. King was a prime example of how one man can bring about powerful change to a crippled nation. Our nation is weak at the knees once again, and in THIS time, the man to bring about change will be sworn in tomorrow. President-Elect Obama will call on all of us to make a difference, to serve our communities and to share a spirit of renewal for ourselves and our country. And there is no better day than today to open up that renewed spirit.
If you'd like to help Renew America Together - click on that link and sign up. The grassroots movement we helped build was always about more than an election. It's about bringing much needed change to Washington and our communities.
One more day til history! I was hoping to get down to D.C. for the inaugural festivities, but it just didn't work out that way. I will be following the coverage on CNN or ABC with my family in Philadelphia. If you'd like a breakdown of the 44th President Inauguration, go to that link to find all of the events leading up to and including the day of the inauguration.
So, what is everyone doing tomorrow? If you're around, let me know how you will be celebrating this amazing day in history! Now is the time!
-b
6 comments:
WOW I'M FIRST!
Wow Brooke this speech does give me the chills and will always make me tear up. One imperative part is when Dr. King stated, "NOW IS THE TIME!" As Bernice King stated last week on the Michael Baisden show that on Wednesday, January 21st (the day after inauguration) we should NOT go back to business as usual!
NOW IS THE TIME! Our children can see how they can do it because we did it!!!! They did it! I was out and about in the community on Saturday in South Dallas and it was amazing to see all the children who marched in the parade, volunteered along side of their parents and were wearing their Obama shirts!
Not just wearing them, but wearing them with PRIDE! One little boy said, "I know I can do anything now!"
But we must keep our eyes open people. As Dr. King said he wants his children to live in a nation where they are not judged based on their color...but the content of their character. Racism is still alive today! I faced a racial incident right here in Dallas back in the summer and shook my head as the ones yelling out racial slurs to me were my age. I thought...my God another generation of haters!
So people...NOW IS THE TIME! I'm taking tomorrow off to watch full coverage of the inauguration with friends in Dallas, then at night I'm going to an open mic that will celebrate President Obama and his family! And in the words of Prez Obama...I'm fired up and ready to go! Peace!
Serena!
That speech always does it for me. My spirit is rising again! I know tomorrow I'm going to be a mess!
Hate and prejudice will always exist, in every generation. The thing is to give them nothing to hate, nothing to call us out on, no excuses! Barack will lead by example and give us no reason not to BE better and DO better.
I agree and that's what I gave em. Nothing. I did go home after the altercation and wrote a poem about it. I haven't posted it yet...waiting for the right time :) So if anything I thank them because they added more fuel to my fire (literally, it happened in a gas station on a hot a** day in Plano, TX to be exact).
But it's all good. I'm putting my energy into making things happen and making change! Si se puede!!!!
awww sookie! Serena getting all bilingual on us :-)
I've been watching inaugural coverage since I got to Philly, I'm loving this!
Hi Brooke,
Sorry I'm so late in responding to your blog...just realized you posted one. I didn't check the work email until later this evening. I have to work tmrw unfortunately so I might be watching from my desk at work. Although one of my co-workers is trying to convince me to go up to Times Square to watch. I'm on the fence about that - I sort of want to take it in with a great view from my own TV (most importantly in the comfort of a heated environment).
I really am so proud of our country right now probably for the first time in my lifetime (especially as an adult). President Obama has already set such a positive tone for our country - I'm really excited about our potential now.
Serena - racism is definitely alive and well. I experience it on a subversive level all the time at work. They don't think they are being racist, but they are... and it won't change until like you said they begin to judge us on the content of our character and not the color of our skin. But I do believe that we're closer to that day with President Obama.
Subversive racism was actually something I thought about blogging about. It's amazing how they don't even see what they're doing. There are a couple of people at my job who refer to Barack Obama is "your guy" or "your president"...and these are people that VOTED FOR HIM. Crazy.
I simply remind them that he is OUR president, EVERYONE'S president. We still have a way to go...but you're right Glee, electing Barack Obama as President is a giant step in the right direction. What we did was amazing, and I'm proud of our country for having the courage to do it.
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