Category Archives: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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How Martin Luther King Jr.’s Last Sunday Sermon Speaks to Us Today – A Post from the Denison Forum…

Me and Dr. Bernice King, CEO of The King Center, at the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine Women of Excellence reception last night…

Hello World,

I had planned to post about the fact that the 33rd Stellar Gospel Music Awards will be aired tonight on Good Friday no less on TV One at 9 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. CST and share some fun red carpet photos from the event which took place last Saturday, but then I received an inspiring post in my inbox from the Denison Forum  this morning which is the website where Dr. Jim Denison writes about cultural and contemporary issues from a Christian perspective.

His post was so inspiring and timely that I thought I would share a portion of it here particularly since I got the chance to hear Dr. Bernice King speak at the Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine Woman of Excellence Reception last night. I interviewed her in 2014 for the magazine so I got to know her a little bit back then, but last night she reminded everyone of something: When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her father, became a martyr on April 4, 1968, 50 years ago next week, he was one of the most hated men in America. It was only because of the diligent work of his wife Coretta Scott King AFTER his death that he became a man loved the whole world over. Her statement spoke to me on so many levels. When we’re doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord we may not be liked, loved nor appreciated. In fact, we may not even live to see the fruits of our sacrificial labor. I’m reminded that when Jesus died he was treated as a common criminal, spat on, mocked and physically abused. So it is up to us to demonstrate that his actions in laying down his life were the ultimate in sacrificial love and that this gift of love is high, deep and wide enough to save whole world if only we share this Good News…

Below is a portion of Dr. Denison’s post:

Tomorrow marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last Sunday sermon.

On March 31, 1968, Dr. King preached at the Washington National Cathedral. An overflow crowd heard him deliver “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution,” calling his listeners to join God in a movement that would bring righteousness to a culture divided by racial bigotry and endemic poverty.

In his message, he noted: “On some positions, cowardice asks the question: Is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? Conscience asks the question: Is it right?”

Then Dr. King stated, “There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”

Four days later, he paid for his conscience with his life.

Dr. King ended his sermon by invoking a hymn sung earlier in the service as a challenge to America, the church, and all of humanity:

Once to ev’ry man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
Off’ring each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
‘Twixt that darkness and that light.

“God proved his love on the cross”

On this Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ choice “‘twixt that darkness and that light,” his “great decision” to bear the evil of our sin for the “great cause” of our salvation.

You and I have no ability to fathom just what this day cost our Savior.

See the rest at denisonforum.org.

I will share one snippet from the Stellar Awards. Below is a video snippet of Tori Kelly & The Hamiltones, the R&B trio made up of the three singers who sing background for Anthony Hamilton, performing “Help Us To Love,” which is appropros on this Good Friday.

Here is a excerpt of the lyrics written by Kirk Franklin:

This world is weeping, hurting, broken and begging for change
Oh yeah
But still we marching, praying, dying, and things stay the same
When will we see?
Till everyone’s free
There’ll never be peace between you and me
God, your love is the cure
For the rich and the poor
God, please will you open our eyes?

Any thoughts?

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Loretta Devine, Isaiah Washington & Meta Golding Star in ‘Behind The Movement’ on TV One TONIGHT!

New Drama Reveals How Rosa Parks & the Unsung Heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott Helped Spark The Civil Rights Movement...

Hello World,

Just in time for Black History Month, TV One’s original film Behind The Movement premieres TONIGHT, February 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Set during the tumultuous Civil Rights era, Behind The Movement offers a closer look at how Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger launched the history-making Montgomery Bus Boycott. This original made-for-television movie honors the contributions of many unsung heroes of this watershed moment in the Civil Rights struggle, recounting the inner workings and behind the scenes preparation that took place during three intense days between the fateful evening when Parks refused to give up her seat, to the launch of this significant protest. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, there was a chorus of lesser known heroes, including Rosa Parks and E.D. Nixon, who galvanized the most successful boycott of its time. 

Key cast members include: Meta Golding as Rosa Parks (The Hunger Games), Isaiah Washington as Edgar “E.D. Nixon” (The 100), Loretta Devine as Jo Ann Robinson (Waiting to Exhale); Roger Guenveur Smith as Raymond Parks (American Gangster) and Shaun Clay as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story)

Check out a preview of Behind The Movement below:

Any thoughts?

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Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Films Political Ad in Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church During Martin Luther King Ecumenical Service…

Hello World,

You can always tell when it’s election season at my small church in southwest Atlanta…When random men or women start showing up and standing up boldly during the introduction of visitors portion of the service, you know that candidates are making their rounds throughout Atlanta’s black churches, ground zero of where to garner the black vote. Because our church is small, we know who is visiting and or campaigning. But’s that okay because the doors of the church are open to everybody and all political candidates are welcome from all parties as most churches, as 501(c)(3) organizations, will not back any particular candidate for any post.

But what has never happened and will likely never happen due to our size is a political candidate having himself or himself filmed while worshiping with us and using that footage for a political ad. Last week, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Evans released a video on her Instagram account in which she was shown worshiping at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church during the Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Ecumenical Service held on the national holiday. With a bluesy harmonica version of “Life Every Voice and Sing” the black American national anthem, as the soundtrack, Evans was shown walking in the sanctuary with the door being held for her, speaking with people in the pews, with her eyes closed and head bowed down in prayer, clapping, etc. Ebenezer’s pastor Dr. Warnock was shown in the pulpit area, the “Songbird of the South” Dottie Peoples sang in a shot. And then the crescendo of the ad is when her visage fades as Dr. King’s likeness comes into full focus…The words “Bringing Hope Back to Georgians” is the final message. Don’t believe me? See the political ad for yourself below…

Even with permission, this ad would have not been the move…Oh, so you comparing yourself to Dr. Martin the Luther the King Jr. in Atlanta? Oh, so you orchestrated a civil rights movement that is responsible for many if not most of black America’s civil rights? Oh, so you won a Nobel Peace Prize? Oh, so you are on a par with a martyr?

I mean that is the implication by the end of the ad even if that was not the intent. While we may have our first black princess across the pond in Meghan Markle  in a few months, as comedian Rickey Smiley recently said on The Wendy Williams Show, there are three families who have achieved royalty in the black American community – the Kings, the Jacksons and now the Obamas. You would do well to steer clear of any of them in black America if you’re trying to get black votes…

But the clincher of this spectacle is that the Evans campaign did not get permission of Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church for filming this ad. Where dey do dat at? Don’t believe me? See the official statement for yourself below….

The black church is the ultimate in sacred spaces in the black community and to parlay that experience for political capital is already a tricky thing…When political candidates show up at my church, we already know that they are not necessarily there to worship and may not even believe what we believe and we not even see them again until the election season, but we welcome them anyway because we do want to get a sense of who may be running the community in which our church is located. But this ad has gone too far. Turn to your right and turn to your left and say, “Neighbor, don’t use me in your political ad without permission.” Smh…And Ms. Evans may be a great governor but if she keeps on like this, she likely won’t get there…

Any thoughts?