"Dear Dr. King"

If I could write a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I would say:
Dear Dr. King:
Even though we were (Morehouse College) brothers, you did not know me. We were at the same places on five or six occassions, but I do not think we were introduced or shook hands.
My brother took a picture of you on the third time we were at the same place, and you graciously posed and smiled. That was after my commencement program at Morehouse in 1959. I have that picture in my aging scrapbook.
Your brother, A. D., and I were classmates, so he might remember me. You and your mentor, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, were my heroes.
The first time we were at the same place was in Sale Hall Chapel at Morehouse in the mid 1950s. You were briefing a small group of clergymen on the state of the bus boycott in Montgomery. A few of us slipped into the chapel and sat in the back. I think this was the first time I heard you talk about Sister Pollard. Sister Pollard was rather old, and she insisted on walking during the boycott. They began to worry about her and try to get her to ride in the car pool. She was determined to walk. "Aren't you tired," they asked. She replied, "my feets is tired, but my soul is rested."
The second time we were at the same place was at Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. It was during academic year 1956-57. You were still pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and you and "Daddy" King exchanged pulpits every year. He was preaching at Dexter Avenue and you were preaching at Ebeneezer.
You preached on WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS ONLY SOUL. You told us how the Democrats had offered you $25,000 to endorse Gov. Adlai Stevenson for president in 1956. And you talked about how the Republicans had offered you $75,000 to endorse President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
You made us laugh when you talked about how you pondered how far that $75,000 would go towards educating all the children you planned to have, but you said you had to turn it down for fear you would gain the world and lose your soul.
Third, you were my commencement speaker 1n 1959. You thrilled us with the charge to remain awake through the social revolution that was taking place.
Finally, you spoke in Richmond, Virginia on the campus of Virginia Union University shortly after the four little girls were killed in the Birmingham, Alabama church bombing. You asked who killed those beautiful children. You indicted the usual suspects, but you did not let us off the hook. You said all of us who had not done enough to pursue justice had to share the guilt.
We have missed you since your death, but you have continued to inspire us. In their book THE MILITANT BLACK WRITER IN THE UNITED STATES AND AFRICA, Stephen Henderson and Mercer Cook said you were a prophet and a poet. You were. Aspects of your poetic dream have come true. The sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveholders routinely sit down at the table of brotherhood all over the South today.
We now have a national holiday to celebrate your birthday, but that was a compromise. Instead of the January 15th, it is the third Monday so we can have a long weekend. I think you would have mixed emotions about the holiday and the "Make Your Dreams Come True" sales, but it validates you philosophy.
Considerable progress has been made in politics; we are slowly moving towards judging people on their merits. We made history in Virginia by electing an African American, who pushed for honoring your birthday, as the first black governor of any state. We have elected a growing number of brothers and sisters to offices at every level. A brother with African ancestry is a serious candidate for president.
We still have a long way to go. The plight of the have nots may be even worse than when you were alive. We have major problems, especially in the areas of war and peace. But, I will not go into details, and you must rest in peace. You did all you could to push us towards the "Promised Land." It is now up to us. Thank you for your valiant efforts. We will never forget you.
Preston M. Yancy

Thanks to the Four of You--Especially Jason--Sorry Scott

My first post drew nine comments from four people. Thank you all for your thoughts and for new perspectives I had not considered. They are Scott, Jason Kenney, Paul Hammond and RVA FOODIE (Jason Guard).
Special thanks to Jason Kenney (J'S WORLD) for responding on his blog, welcoming me to "blogdom," and saying I make sense (sometimes if not this time).
Scott seems to be a champion of compliance with The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and he seems to think I can and should do something about getting compliance by the Richmond Public Schools. Paul Hammond does not think too much of the ADA. Frankly, I have not given it much thought.
But, I see Mayor L. Douglas Wilder has frozen the funds--for ADA compliance--in the continuing "war" between Wilder and the RPS. Sorry Scott, but Mr. Wilder put us on notice to expect no more olive branches. Let me know what you think I can and should do, and I will respond.
pmy

Allow comments RIVER CITY RAPIDS and SAVE RICHMOND

First Jon Baliles of RIVER CITY RAPIDS called for the defeat of George Braxton as Chair of the Richmond City School Board. Don Harrison of SAVE RICHMOND piggy-backed on Baliles' effort. Neither blog allows comment. That is interesting since Harrison was critical of the School Board; because, the public could not speak at the meeting.
Paul Hammond of THE LOST ART OF THE CITY poked fun at Baliles and Harrison, and I took a shot at both Mr. Baliles and Mr. Harrison on Hammond's blog. Harrison replied to me on his blog, but I cannot respond to him on his blog.
BUT THAT IS THE MAIN REASON I GOT A BLOG!
I called Baliles and Harrison apologists for Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. Harrison says that is "absolute horse hockey," and he cited several blogs in which he criticized/opposed Wilder. My main gripe with Baliles' "bill of particulars" against Braxton--which Harrison embraced--was the one that read "the perpetual stalling and playing chicken with the moving of the RPS [Richmond Public Schools] offices."
The insistence that the RPS offices be moved was an unfunded mandate by a person who had no authority to issue that decree. The School Board should be applauded for "out Wildering" Wilder on that matter. On this issue criticizing the Board constitutes being a Wilder apologist.
Mr. Harrison, you may respond on my blog. Will I ever be able to on yours?
Preston M. Yancy