MLK Club 2007 Community Award Receipents

Vexillology

Rodney David Deal has created a flag, the Flag of Remembrance 1865 signaling the solidarity of African-Americans and all Americans after the freeing of those who were enslaved in America. Author Deal lecture, Courage Creates Change: in Honor of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Remembering the Year 1865, here in Fort Wayne, Indiana focused on the connection of Abraham Lincoln fight for freedom and Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. courage in fighting for freedom.

Deal discovered through his research that the date 1865 was important to many Americans and not just African-Americans. And with this discovery came a revelation that people came together in support of African-Americans experiencing this freedom. And that the struggle for freedom did not end with the death of Lincoln or Dr. King, Jr. Deal's message for some in the audience was in order to create a more inclusive diversity, we each must do our part in the struggle for freedom for all people. In moving toward this inclusiveness one should know it will take courage.

Deal has plenty of courage, and with this courage, he will take his flag to Congress. The flag of remembrance 1865 is Deal's inclusive, inspirational, positive, social, historical initiative. The flag evokes a message of opportunities to realize the dream of King, Jr., "founding father of a new America" and the "Founding father of freedom", Abraham Lincoln. The flag offers up a similar message found in our Declaration of Independence .. "we hold these truths that all men are created equal as well as the words from our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner”.."the land of the free".. and .."the home of the brave."

Deal suggest in the final analysis,

One can support this inclusive inspirational positive social historical initiative by displaying a flag, banner, and or pictorial at home, church, and work. The Flag of Remembrance 1865™: In Commemoration of the Thirteenth Amendment will educate the reader about the importance of this theoretical perspective. The final chapter of the book contains a forty plus page journal to give the reader an opportunity to reflect on the significance of this initiative, and hopefully, establish healing, promote, and support unified-diversity in America’s social culture.

Repentance and Reconciliation-MLK Service

Plymouth Congregational Church held its 22nd Annual MLK Service of Repentance and Reconciliation. The service provides an opportunity for people of faith to come together each year on the theme of common grounds. The common grounds are the quest for justice and peace to prevail within the city, state, nation and the world.
The partnership between the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne and Allen County and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance remain committed to the task of working together for the health and welfare of Fort Wayne in removing barriers that foster ill-will, fear, and suspicion.


The sermon was given by Rev. Dr. Michael Murphy, Pastor and Founder of St. Stephen’s Community Church of Lansing, MI. Dr. Murphy brought greeting from Dr. Sharon Bank and the good news about Dr. Banks involvement in the building of $30,000,000 dollar middle school in Lansing Michigan.

Murphy served as Michigan State House of Representatives for three terms. His passion for civil rights and human rights dates back to the mid-1960's when his father, the late George C. Murphy involved him with the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Operation Breadbasket in Chicago.

Dr. Murphy currently serves as chairperson of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. Dr. Murphy graduated from Chicago Theological Seminary, Michigan State University, and DePaul University, and studied at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, Georgia.

A Martin Luther King Commemoration We are the Dream

Pilgrim Baptist Church featured Carver Cossey in concert. Mr. Cossey came to Fort Wayne to serve as guest artist and clinician for the Heartland Chamber Chorale, on whose artistic advisory board he serves.Cossey was named the 2006 Artist of the Year by the Inspirational Gospel Music Association (IGMA). A Man Named Martin and Precious Lord were sung by Cossey. Cossey has been a member and featured soloist with the Pacific Chorale of Orange County, California, the Albert McNeal Jubilee Singers, and the Pacific Symphony. Cossey has been featured in performances with the Boston Pops, Opera Pacific, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and the Roger Wagner Chorale. Recording credits include the movie soundtrack for Highlander II and recent albums by Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Russell Watson, and the Albert McNeal Jubilee Singers.


Cossey is currently serving as a minister of music for Shepherd of the Hills UCC in Laguna Niguel. Mr. Cossey was the founder and first artistic director of Soul connection, a gospel choir in LA. Cossey is a past faculty member of UC Irvine, Saddleback College, and Cypress College where he was instrumental in establishing gospel choirs at each of these schools.On the program with Cossey were the Temple Hazemir Choir directed by Dr. John Planer. It is a liturgical choir, made up entirely of volunteers, for worship rather than singing folk songs or presenting concerts. The ensemble repertoire is in Hebrew, singing a cappella and most settings are four-part. The core music is 19th century choral works by Salomon Sulzer, Samuel Naumbourg, and Louis Lewandowsky, but also includes contemporary compositions as well. Hazemir Choir has commissioned compositions and subsidized publication. In June 2007, hazemir plans to travel to Jerusalem to sing withe Hallel Choir.


Temple Professional Choir of Achduth Vesholom directed by Robert Nance(High Holy Days), and various services once each month. Members of the Choir are not necessarily members of the temple or of the Jewish faith. Also, Nance directed a chorus he founded in 1997, called Heartland Chamber Chorale. The Chorale is northern Indiana's only professional chorus with 26 members. The goal of the chorus is to serve as a professional resource for matters pertaining to the art of vocal music. Young folks are encourages to participate through an educational component called Side-by-Side in Song and Project Sing.


The host choir, Pilgrim Baptist Church Choir was directed by Debra Faye Williams-Robbins. Williams-Robbins leads a team of musicians, choral directors and instrumentalists, who guide nine different choirs for services of worship and special events throughout the year. Pilgrim Choirs have performed with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Heartland Chamber Chorale and many guest artists and clinicians in their annual choral workshops. Pilgrim Choirs performances range from classical anthems to modern day gospel.


Dr. Miles S. Edwards, PHD gave the welcome and introduced the performances.

The following information from We Are the Dream Concert Insert.

Women-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr-Mobilization

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not die because he had a dream. Dr. King, Jr. died because he was mobilizing. Dr. King, Jr. was mobilizing the poor to demand better pay and better jobs.

Dr. King, Jr. left behind those who are still dreaming of better pay and better jobs, instead of mobilizing our resources and talents.

The union surveyed 26,000 working women and thir report shows these are the issues women are concerned about for now and for their children:

Pay, wages, salary, paycheck, raise 7,034
Health care Health, health care, health insurance, medical, drugs 5,019
Equality/fairness Equality, equal, fair, rights, man’s world, second class 3,595
Child care Child care, day care, baby sitter, children 2,995
Retirement Retirement, Social Security, pension 1,948
Corporate Corporation, company, CEO, golden parachute 1,752
Work and family Work and family, balancing, stay at home, flexible hours, FMLA 1,352
Maternity Maternity, breast feeding, pregnancy, infant 630
Discrimination/
harassment Discrimination, harassment, glass ceiling, affirmative action 548
Iraq Iraq, war 113
Abortion Abortion, reproductive rights, right to choose, right to life 119

Read a survey.

Mobilizing is honoring Dr. King, Jr. Show me what you working with in the Community for better pay and better jobs.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Thursday, January 11, 11:00 – 1:00 p.m. Ivy Tech Community College
MLK Celebration – Keynote Speaker, Hana Stith, Curator, African/African American Historical Museum.

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...Day 4

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom? Uncle Tom’s name in the same breathe as Dr. King’s, Jr., who is considered by many as the all time martyr of civil rights, would more than likely bring on looks of disdain from those hearing the question. Just to utter the name as a description of the historical figure who is the ultimate representative of the American-American community is an insult.

But recognizing that fact, leaves me trying to understand as to why one seldom bats an eye upon hearing the dreaded N…word that is so loosely used in the hood. The first word represents an African-American who is a sale out. The other word represents a certain status of an African-American. Both terms, are haunting reminders of the legacy of slavery. Both terms are negative labeling placed up on those who are found among the diverse African-American community. Especially when we profess to understand the struggles of our ancestors. Because it is so easy to do, unconsciously.

So, why am I labeling Dr. King, Jr. a "Tom"? Answer, because it is so easy to do. Was Dr. King a sale out? I didn’t think so. Was he an Uncle Tom? An Uncle Tom seeking to expose the powerbrokers for what they were, self-serving manipulating racialists? Yes. Dr. King, like Beecham’s Uncle Tom, understood the master’s cruel and brutal ways. Dr. King, Jr. nonviolent approach was a tactic used to expose the racialist for what he or she including the do-good racialists truly felt in their hearts.

Beecham’s Uncle Tom master‘s whip was the symbolic tool used to show the cruelty of man desire to bring another man into submission more so than God himself. As long as Tom was doing the whipping the master could say stop. But if the master had the whip, there was no legal tool in place to prevent the master from whipping those who were enslaved to death. So Uncle Tom saved lives by being Uncle Tom.

I am simply saying that Uncle Tom was not a sale out. Tom was the alternative to an inhumane master who would kill an enslaved just as quick as a mad dog. Tom understood his role was to challenge the master beliefs about the enslaved, which in turn enabled Tom to save lives. Dr. King, may indeed be labeled an Uncle Tom, as he gave his life challenging the belief that he too like Uncle Tom was more than a mere boy but a man with rights guaranteed and protected under the Constitution. Dr. King, Jr. challenged the racialists hearts and ultimately gave his life in demanding that the nation take notice that all of America's Americans were still not free.


Many will not celebrate his holiday, because they do not believe in judging a person by their character. Many. Dr. King, Jr. will be called names..but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was simply Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. King,Jr. only asked that we be the best that we could be...and a simply thing like watching what we call each other could be a starting point.

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...Day3

Defining ourselves. It is how we define ourselves. It is how well we maintain our humanness as we battle the reflection of self-hatred that is meant for our internalization. If we internalize we begin to emulate the model of self-hatred distributed by raced white and African-American leadership. We begin name calling instead of holding such leadership accountable.

Some African-American leaders fail to keep their eyes on the prize of improving the community for the masses. There should be no blaming of the victims by such leaders. Instead, a recognition of the long legal discriminatory of the African-Americans that calls for a result-driven leadership. Without such leaders a disconnect remains for those African-Americans who are attempting to define and meet its' community needs. Our leaders, who support self-hatred must be held accountable when they fail to address the community specific needs. These leaders who seek the messiah-like title of leadrship (without questions) are not representative of the masses interest but self-interest.

Instead of honoring Dr. King, Jr. as an individual, we compare him to other African-Americans leaders who fail to represent the masses. Judging Dr. King, Jr. by his color and not as his own drum major. Dr. King, Jr. defined his identity as a leader among oppressed people. Not just African-Americans, but others counting about others raced white women. But Dr. King, Jr. is remembered as an African-American hero, so much for our color blind society.

So is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom?
to be continued

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ..Day 2

Character. For example within the African-American community, the term Uncle Tom is bantered about as a negative term. Uncle Tom was born into slavery therefore he was considered less than human, but instead of just being called the N-word, Tom was given a male title. Uncle elevated Tom beyond the childlike name of boy to a trusted male rite of passage into manhood. This was a limited manhood mind you, but Uncle Tom could be trusted but lacked a last name.

So, to get beyond the stereotype of Uncle Tom, as negative, one must look to the positive traits of the human being as Uncle Tom during slavery, instead of internalizing the negative portrayal of an Uncle Tom. For example, Dr. King, Jr. as an Uncle Tom would be based upon the positive charactistics of Uncle Tom as the human being rather than his status as a slave, A slave symbolizes one lacking the qualities of a human being. Instead of internalizing the labeling it is better to identify with the traits, trust, the self-sacrificing and the uplifting of others.

Dr. King, Jr. did this with his life for others to move into a place beyond segregation which included the right to vote and economical power. The negative connotations of manhood was created to separate the wheat from the shaft and a way of creating division about us as to who is more worthy among us as African-Americans.

Uncle Tom was deemed more worthy among those who engaged in slavery. Uncle Tom was elevated to humanness based simply on the fact that those who dealt in slavery, were able to see his human characteristics, Tom's honesty and trustworthy, something not seen in a simple slave. Uncle Tom was an extra ordinary human being to still be able to hold onto human characteristic in spite of what others perceived him as being..less than human under the most extreme hardships. Uncle Tom was more than the labels placed upon him by the world that deemed him a slave.

Uncle Tom was given responsibility over others who were enslaved and with the same trustworthy and honesty, he treated them in the same manner as he would want to be treated. Tom's character showed compassion for others especially those who were enslaved because he had first hand knowledge as to what it meant to be treated as less than human being because of the label, slave. But more important, Tom showed compassion for those who mistreated him. Tom defined who he was, not those who mistreated him, his character.

to be continued

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his own words

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968

Click on class room resources at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute

I wrote an op-ed piece in 1997, after attending a Ku Klux Klan Rally, (perpetrating as a 1st amendment rally) that appeared in the Journal Gazette, with the following King quote,

It was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who wrote about, "finding your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain discrimination to your young child, while at the same time visualizing ominous clouds of inferiority forming in the child's mental sky, which starts the beginning of distortion in the child's personality in developing an unconscious bitterness toward the perpetrators of hatred."
Yup, "developing an unconscious bitterness toward the perpetrators of hatred, powerful words from the King," huh? Especially from discrimination.

Discrimination. Yes, dare to smile child, because it's coming. I could only protect you when you were close to my bosom. But one day it's going to hit you in the gut and what will you do? Oh I can put the balm for healing there for awhile, but one day it just won't work and what shall you do?

Stand. Stand and recognize it for what it is and from who it is coming from. Recognize it, stare it straight in the eye. Tilt your head back, chin up and give it a little smile. Now, shake the head ever so slightly, and utter these words, "oh no, uh-uh not me, you got your peoples mixed up, because I am not the one.

I am not the one. Because you, don't want me to give you a history lesson or two. Now walk with it, eye contact, forceful, chin tucked as you give an upward glance. Nope, wrong year..2007.

Leave the room..phone a friend..throw in a lifeline and call your mom. But you need to know it ain't the end of the world.

It had to do with beating the obstacles in getting over, seeing your way through, giving your testimony, starting over sometimes but never giving up. This road of racial oppression did not begin with us nor will it end with us. But we don't have to go backward as we travel this road left by our ancestors. This land is our land.

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. an Uncle Tom?

What do we call ourselves?

Was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr an Uncle Tom? This name calling is such a quagmire among African-Americans and a line in the sand for racialists. While attending college, some professors and even some students appeared to delight in challenging my self-identity by reminding me that other African-Americans called themselves the very same name that I found offensive when they the racialist uttered the N-word protected by the 1st amendment in the academic setting.

On another occasion, my self-identity on my patient’s chart brought on another uninvited, surprised but expected racialist’s explanation as to his choice of name calling of African-American. When visiting this doctor, he explained to me that he preferred the term Black and how much he hated the term African-American. The good doctor may have prefer the term Black that I believe erases the racial connotation to not only color but economical status. The naming of human beings whose ancestors experienced the inhumane bondage continues even to this day. By naming another human being other, whether it be slave, the N word , Mulatto, zambo, sambo, quadroon, octoroon,and even Uncle Tom. Naming of African-Americans was to deny them human qualities and human benefits. The labels erased who the individual really was and left the individual to take on the attributes of what it meant to be so named.

I am who I say I am, and my preference is the term African-American which elevate the conversation back to the historical robbing of Africans from Africa and the stripping of their African identity.

The United States’ history was America’s denial of human qualities among a group of human beings with the African bloodline. The name calling continues in order to erase who the individual really was, and the individual began to internalize the new name, to take on the attributes of the non-existence culture of identity determined only by those who created the new name.

If there is a negative quality to the name, all individuals so named will take on the stigma that comes with the name. We as African-Americans, have internalized the name-calling and uses the same devalued labeling as dehumanize others who we feel are less worthy among us.


Once labeled the internalizing of their station in life would began. If there was a negative quality to the name placed on African-Americans, all individuals so named would take on the stigma that came with the name. Even African-Americans,themselves, practice name-calling to devalue others considered not representative of African-Americans. This name labeling is one way African-Americans redefine the negative as a way of self-identity, but it blinds many to the historical meaning of the old labels.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. suggested that we forget about the labels and define each person. This would be difficult because one would be limited to only information based on each individual..the character of the person.

to be continued..