The King’s Speech had the unfortunate luck of being labeled as an Oscar-hungry film quite early, dating back to the hysterically enthusiastic reaction that followed its initial screening at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Reviews have been almost exclusively positive, lauding Colin Firth’s role as the stammering King George VI as career-defining, a performance so inexpressibly perfect that you will be reduced to a blubbery, buttery heap of tears by the time the credits roll.
Rather than refute these claims, it would be much more productive to qualify the aspects of The King’s Speech that seem to have audiences so sheepishly smitten. The film follows Firth as the second-born son of King George V, a gruff and baritone Michael Gambon unwilling to accept his son’s speech impediment. World War II is coming to England, and Firth’s formidable stammer is forced into the public eye after his elder brother (Guy Pearce) abdicates the throne to marry one of those goddamn Americans. Following his wife’s counsel (Helena Bonham-Carter as the queen, charming and cheek-boned as ever), the new king starts unorthodox speech therapy with Australian Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The two men’s relationship provides the dramatic crux of the film, artfully balancing bits of humor and drama as Logue’s therapy sways from shaking jowls to childhood trauma.
The king’s stammer sets the stage for the necessary moments of painful tension as Firth’s desperate chokes and coughs invoke despair, courage and eventual exultation. The opening scene forces the poor prince in front of a microphone to read his father’s statement to the entire British Empire via radio, and from then on our sympathies are forever his. Yet the main reason for the broad success of The King’s Speech is not its approach to what is basically an underdog story, but rather its sheer, unabashed Britishness. The film was orchestrated by a largely British administration, set in a time of heady British significance, and embodies the sort of stout, dignified resilience so often associated with our neighbors across the pond. Every room is prim and proper regardless of the royal presence, and the arbitrary social monarchy so often associated with Britain acts as the film’s entire skeleton. Rather than let that stuffy dignity seep into the film’s juicy bits, however, director Tom Hopper maintains a detached, airy humor to the whole affair, from Derek Jacobi’s perfectly preposterous Archbishop to Rush’s Dr. Logue, who seems entirely unimpressed with the aristocratic posturing, but is willing to put up with it for the sake of his friend. The English style of sharp, clean regality appeals as much to an aging American public fed up with 3-D as it does to native Brits, and has profited immensely as a result.
While The King’s Speech hardly makes any mistakes, it seems unwilling to risk anything worth losing. The relationship between Firth and Rush drives the film at the cost of developing any of the other characters’ intimacy, reducing them instead to charged moments and lockedstares that ultimately reflect back on Firth alone. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop Hopper from trying, and Firth’s connections with his wife, brother and father cannot move beyond one dimension. Once Hopper establishes the brother as cruel, the father as rough and the wife as supportive, their roles plateau and become little more than material through which the two central characters may work. This safe mentality extends to the dialogue, full of witty little quips and sly retorts that had the matured crowd in my theater tittering relentlessly, reaching for their oxygen masks in hopes of relief.
That said, however, The King’s Speech has turned something that could have been unforgivably boring into a sharply engaging film. It has joined This Is England and Wallace and Gromit in the pantheon of supremely British films that are actually accessible to the American viewer, and will probably get Colin Firth an Oscar in the process. Geared towards an older audience more appreciative of the subtle aspects of character and connection, The King’s Speech is an example of how filmmaking need not rely on the bells and whistles of a digitized era to simultaneously entertain and share a message with its audience.
A firsthand account from one of the Little Rock 9, a discussion of international aid and development in Africa, and presentations of "I, too, Sing America" will close out UNC-Chapel Hill's week-long Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration. On Thursday, Jan. 20, Dr. Terrence J. Roberts will discuss the experience of breaking the color barrier as a 15-year-old student at Little Rock Central High School. His talk, "Lessons from Little Rock," begins at 5 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. Also on Thursday, the MLK, Today panel will focus on international aid and development in Central and Eastern Africa and how these themes reflect the ideals and Dr King's legacy. The discussion will begin at 7 p.m. in the FedEx Global Center's Nelson Mandela Auditorium. Joining the discussion are David Johnson and Lisa Dougan. Johnson, a UNC alumnus, is founder and president of Silent Images, an organization that documents persecuted and oppressed people across the globe. Johnson has worked in Sudan, Burundi, Uganda, and Ethiopia. He has published two books: Voices of Sudan and Voice of Beauty. Dougan is the Director of Communications for Resolve Uganda. She has worked with Invisible Children as National Tour Coordinator and Advocacy Liaison. The panel will feature Professor of African and Afro-American Studies and Political Science Dr. Julius Nyang’oro and Professor of Economics Ralph Byrns. Professor of African and Afro-American Studies Tim McMillan will moderate. I, too, Sing America will begin in the Union's Great Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21. This year’s program will commemorate Dr. King’s dream through the eyes of many cultural generations in America who are striving to achieve Dr. King’s dream of a just society. Students ages 11 to 22 will present interpretations of Langston Hughes’ poem, “I, too, Sing America.” More information.
NAACP Draws Complaints for Covering George Washington Statue on Martin Luther King Day
The NAACP's South Carolina office chose to cover a statue of George Washington during its annual rally honoring Martin Luther King Jr., drawing complaints from conservatives that the group was offending the legacy of the nation's Founding Father.
The state chapter of the civil rights group claims it meant no disrespect and only covered up the statue to provide a more suitable backdrop for speakers at Monday's event. Pictures taken at the event show the statue was completely covered on three sides by a wooden, box-like structure.
But those pictures prompted an outcry on conservative blogs. Tea Party activist Lloyd Marcus was among those who quickly wrote a retort to the NAACP's decision.
"I thought, you know, this is just totally absurd, totally ridiculous," Marcus told FoxNews.com. "I don't know if George Washington had slaves or whatever but ... George Washington was our first president."
Marcus, who is black, is a Florida-based activist who works with the Tea Party Express. He said the NAACP should stop putting its energy into apparently symbolic statements like this and start doing more to address problems like high-school dropout rates in the black community.
"These are things the NAACP should be dealing with rather than running around covering up statues of dead white guys," Marcus said.
The King rally was held near the State House in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina NAACP director Dwight James told The State newspaper that his group was not trying to offend Washington's legacy. He said the NAACP wanted to use the structure around the statue as a backdrop for speakers and a graphic, which incidentally was not finished in time to be displayed.
The newspaper reported that most rallies in the capital use the statue of America's first president as part of the natural backdrop -- though the NAACP has tried to cover it up in the past. Marcus said he didn't buy the state chapter's explanation.
But Joanne Jones, vice chairwoman of the Charleston Tea Party board, said she assumes the NAACP was not intentionally disrespecting a founding father. She said the decision was just "surprising," considering how image-conscious the group is. "I would have thought they would have thought it through," she said. "They must not have had any alternative."
Karen Martin, founder of the Spartanburg Tea Party in South Carolina, said many local Tea Party groups just aren't paying attention to the flap in Columbia.
"We really don't care about what the NAACP did," she said. "They lost their credibility to be any sort of reasonable voice for Americans."
The South Carolina NAACP did not return a request for comment.
The Columbia statue incident wasn't the only controversy involving the NAACP on the Martin Luther King holiday. In Maine, Gov. Paul LePage drew criticism from the group after urging its members to "kiss my butt" over the fallout from his decision to skip the group's MLK Day festivities. In the end, the GOP governor on Monday attended a breakfast in King's honor, though it was not sponsored by the NAACP.
Prince Fielder’s Deal Clears Path For King Albert’s Ransom
After the Milwaukee Brewers signed Prince Fielder on Tuesday to a $15.5 million 1-year contract, many baseball pundits exclaimed, “If you’re going to pay Fielder this much, how much is Albert Pujols worth?”
Well, if you place any stock in the validity of one particular Sabermetric statistic called ‘Wins Above Replacement’, Albert’s worth is between $33.0 M and $35.7 M annually based on yesterday’s transaction in Milwaukee.
Because of various economic realities, however, he may be lucky to receive $25 M annually. And if he gets the $30 M annually he seeks, he may have to accept a contract of shorter length.
USING SABERMETRICS TO GAUGE PLAYER VALUE
Deep in the vault of the Sabermetics Library, there is both an intuitive and quantitative explanation for the WAR statistic, which stands for ‘wins above replacement’. As they explain:
“WAR basically looks at a player and asks the question, “If this player got injured and their team had to replace them with a minor leaguer or someone from their bench, how much value would the team be losing?”
The website Baseball-Reference.com contains WAR data, so out of curiosity I compared the WAR data for Mr. Fielder and Mr. Pujols from 2007-2010. My findings:
- Mr. Fielder’s average and median WAR was 4.025 and 3.8 games, respectively;
- Mr. Pujols’ average and median WAR was 8.575 and 8.75, respectively.
So if WAR is our proxy for productivity, and thus, player value, then this implies that Mr. Pujols was between 113% and 130% more productive than Mr. Fielder over this four-year span (depending upon whether you choose to use mean or median values).
If you multiply Mr. Fielder’s 2011 earnings of $15.5 M by factors of 113% and 130% respectively, then this would imply that Mr. Pujols would then be worth between $33.0 M to $35.7 M annually based on his career numbers to date.
A BETTER COMPARISON
Now truth be told, no one before yesterday was really comparing Albert Pujols to Prince Fielder when gauging what Mr. Pujols might fetch in his contract discussions with the St Louis Cardinals.
Many believe Mr. Pujols to be the best player in the game, and thus, should eventually be making the most money of any ballplayer. Currently that title is held by Mr. Alex Rodriguez.
In 2007, A-Rod signed a 10-year, $275 M deal with the NY Yankees. So his average annual salary under this contract is $27.5 M.
Using similar WAR comparisons, let’s assess the relative productivity of Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Pujols.
If we cover the period from 2001-2010:
- A-Rod’s average and median WAR are 6.48 and 6.95 games, respectively;
- Albert’s average and median WAR are 8.38 and 8.3, respectively.
This implies that Albert has been between 19% and 29% more productive than A-Rod over this stretch. This alone would imply (based on A-Rod’s current $27.5 M yearly average) that Albert is worth $32.8 M to $35.6 M annually.
The productivity gap is even greater if we focus just on the years since A-Rod signed his massive deal. From 2007-2010, A-Rod’s average and median WAR are 5.53 and 4.65 games, respectively.
Comparing these WARs to Albert’s from the same period would imply that Albert has been between 55% and 88% more productive than A-Rod since the beginning of the 2007 season. This would imply that Albert is worth between a whopping $42.7 M to $52.7 M annually!
WHERE IS THE REALITY?
If we focus on the Fielder comparison from 2007-2010 and the A-Rod comparison from 2001-2010, we paint a picture that Albert could command an annual salary somewhere in the neighborhood of $33 M – $36 M.
In light of this, $30 M per year seems like a bargain if the calculations herein have merit.
That said, I suspect that Mr. Pujols will stay in St Louis and sign a deal that averages between $25 M – $30 M per season. The longer the length of the deal, the lower the annual average.
St Louis is a great baseball market as evidenced from the fact that they have financially outperformed their market size (8th highest franchise value despite the 17th largest MSA) largely due to one of the most loyal fan bases in professional sports.
But they aren’t New York, Boston, Los Angeles, or Chicago in terms of local market size. And their smaller market does place an upward limit on local revenue streams from local sponsors and local media relative to these other markets.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, the free-spending Yankees and Red Sox are pretty secure at 1st base with Mark Teixeira and Adrian Gonzalez respectively, the Dodgers are hamstrung financially by the messy McCourt divorce proceedings, the Mets are not likely to spend big in light of recent inefficiencies, and it would be Ruthian of Pujols to ever contemplate a jump to the Cubbies.
Albert has been a model of consistency, but is it reasonable to expect that he sustain such high levels of performance well into his late 30s? Albert will likely still be great at age 37. But $30 M great? As a Cardinals fan, I hope so. As a realist, doubtful.
So if he gets his $30 M per year asking price, expect it to be a 5-6 year deal. Any longer than that at that annual rate, and the Cardinals risk being financially hamstrung in a McCourt-ian sense by not being able to divorce themselves from Number 5’s weighty contract.
Either way, King Albert can thank his Prince for setting such a high bar.
"The King's Speech," in which Colin Firth plays the stammering King George VI, won 14 BAFTA nominations on Tuesday, ahead of ballet drama "Black Swan" which garnered 12.
"Inception," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was the next most popular movie at Britain's top film honors with nine nominations, ahead of climbing story "127 Hours" and Western remake "True Grit" with eight apiece.
"The Social Network," which tells the tale of the founding of the Facebook website and one of the films widely tipped for Oscars glory this year, won six nominations.
The BAFTAs are followed closely as the awards season gets into full swing, although they have only a patchy record in identifying future Oscar winners.
Firth, who recently won a Golden Globe and is considered one of the frontrunners for an Academy Award, was shortlisted for a BAFTA best actor prize.
He is up against Spain's Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and James Franco (127 Hours).
Firth's co-stars in The King's Speech -- Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush -- were nominated for best supporting actress and actor, respectively.
Natalie Portman is contesting the best actress award, with both Annette Bening and Julianne Moore nominated for lesbian family drama "The Kids Are All Right."
Rounding out the category are Sweden's Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and teenaged star Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).
POSTHUMOUS NOMINATION FOR POSTLETHWAITE
Pete Postlethwaite, the Oscar-nominated actor who died earlier this month, received a posthumous supporting actor nomination for his performance in "The Town."
British urban artist Banksy, who has kept his identity a secret, received a British debut BAFTA nomination for directing "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
Also contesting the award was Chris Morris, who wrote and directed suicide bomber comedy "Four Lions" which is also nominated for the best British film prize.
Italian movie "I Am Love," "Of Gods and Men" from France and "The Secret in Their Eyes" (Argentina) were nominated for best foreign language film alongside Spain's "Biutiful" and Sweden's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
And the animated feature award shortlist comprised "Despicable Me," "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Toy Story 3."
The Orange British Academy Film Awards winners are announced on February 13.
Volatility carried over from a supercharged November election and propagated by the media’s blame-game coverage of the recent Tucson shootings have left America searching for answers to unlikely philosopher Rodney King’s 19-year-old question, “Can we all just get along?” While I consider myself an eternal optimist, I doubt that day will ever come, at least not here on earth. In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, the man we honor with today’s national holiday addressed that same issue 47 years ago, stating, “Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace.” So how do we do that? Last night I read the brilliant “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April, 1961, outlining problems segregation and racism caused America and her African-American population at that time. Dr. King aptly likened himself to the Apostle Paul who “left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world,” and said, “So am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.” Both wrote great epistles of truth and encouragements for any to read and put into practice. Dr. King’s letter addresses many issues, but his assertion that “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” got me thinking about my question. He quotes the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and notes that they answered to the higher, moral law of God and were willing to face death than follow Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s law that all bow before him. So who determines whether a law is just or unjust? I acknowledge that we must be a nation of laws, otherwise anarchy will reign supreme (and I truly believe that consequence is on the horizon!). But how do we find resolve when there are so many polarizing issues facing the masses today? The best example I can give is one I’ve broached many times: abortion. There are women who will go to their deaths defending their right to be able to terminate the life of another growing inside them, while I, on the other hand, would consider going to jail before agreeing to allow 1 cent of my tax dollars to be used to fund such infanticide. So how do we resolve this issue ... as well as many other hot-button issues waiting for answers? Dr. King used historical references — such as Hitler exterminating Jews — to point out that just because something is legal, it doesn’t make it right. Dr. King’s masterpiece answered an open letter from Birmingham clergymen who charged that he was encouraging his people to break the law; Dr. King countered that any law not morally sound was no law at all and that his people would continue to do whatever necessary — preferably non-violently — in order to stand up for what is right. Thanks to Dr. King, great progress has been made regarding racism and segregation in America. Unfortunately, I see no light at tunnel’s end regarding other issues that divide us today.
Piers Morgan meets Oprah in his debut as CNN's new Larry King
Former Mirror editor Piers Morgan kicks off new CNN interview show by meeting Oprah Winfrey
With a ubiquitous advertising campaign, some gruesome green graphics and more than a hint of a smirk, the man Tony Blair allegedly described as "a slug", Piers Morgan, made his debut on CNN as the network's new lead interviewer.
"There's going to be a learning curve for you," his first interviewee, Oprah Winfrey, warned him during the show. "Should we judge you and say that you're no good just because you've made all these mistakes?"
"If you do that to me I'm going to be mortified," replied Morgan, going visibly pale.
And understandably so. To British viewers, Morgan seems like the protagonist from a satirical novel about the modern day media. Not even Henry Fielding would have dreamed of a character, brought so high, then so low, then so insanely high again, all by his own hubris. If there is a moral to the story of Morgan, it's to never doubt yourself, no matter how many others do.
And always plug Simon Cowell's bands in your tabloid so that when you eventually get fired one day, he'll offer you a job.
But to Americans, he is a lesser known quantity and this is his chance to convince them that his appointment as the successor to Larry King is not the wackiest choice since John McCain selected an unknown Alaskan governor named Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate.
Americans know Morgan solely as the judge on America's Got Talent and the winner of Celebrity Apprentice. Yet Morgan hasn't been able to point them to his 20-year record as a journalist in Britain because of those pesky share tipping and faked photo stories.
And so, Morgan – never known for his light touch – defused the problem by getting Winfrey herself to establish his credentials in the opening few minutes of the show. "They tell me Piers Morgan is a great interviewer," murmured Winfrey when the camera just happened to be upon her. "Let's see how good he is."
All month CNN – which is hoping Morgan will bring a bit of spark to the bland news network – has been trailing Winfrey telling Morgan, "You're good." But on the show, this turned out to be Winfrey's response to Morgan's question about her wealth, and she avoided giving any actual figures. But he did get some good personal details out of the notoriously private Winfrey, such as when she found out she was pregnant at the age of 14.
"I thought, I'm going to have to kill myself," she said. Did she try? "No," she insisted, before adding, "I did crazy things like drinking detergent and all that kinda crazy stuff that you do when you're trying to get attention."
While he may not have been wearing Larry King's red braces, or sitting in King's studio (instead, it was filmed in a cluttered hotel room with an unfortunate, strange horse statue behind Morgan on which the rider appeared to be about to plunge a spear into his skull) he didn't entirely do away with all of his predecessor's trappings. There was a definite lick of subservience to Winfrey that was wholly lacking from, say, Morgan's interview with Katie Price on ITV.
Whether Morgan's chummy interviews will rescue CNN remains to be seen. But he's probably the most interesting thing on that channel. And knowing Morgan, he'll take that as a compliment.
This year is the 25th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday and will be celebrated across the United States with many different notable events and ceremonies. This US Federal holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, January 15th.
King was an avid spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which eventually successfully protested any racial discrimination in both federal and state law. He was assassinated in 1968 and soon after that the campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor soon began. The holiday finally came into law in 1983 by Ronald Reagan and it was the very first holiday was observed on January 20th, 1986. However, it wasn’t until the year 2000 that MLK Day was officially observed in all 50 states.
King was a magnificent speaker and writer, he knew the power of words, and many of his speeches contained powerful quotes that he is now famous for. These MLK quotes are as relevant today as they were when King first spoke them and they still to this day continue to challenge and inspire individuals and society. There are literally hundreds of compelling Martin Luther King quotes, all of which are thought provoking and inspiring, and below are a few samples that seem to be especially fitting for 2011. Many more can be found here.
* “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” * “Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.” * “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” * “All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.” * “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” * “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” * “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” * “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” * “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” * “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great preacher, orator and writer. He knew the power of words to challenge and inspire individuals and society. Words lead to actions, and in King's case, words provided a pathway to racial reconciliation and the cornerstones for building a more just American society.
These familiar quotes are as relevant today as they were when King first said them. While we chose these ten, there were hundreds of others equally compelling. We encourage readers to add their own MLK quotes below.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! I Have a Dream, 1963.
Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor of Vietnam. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption in Vietnam. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours. The Trumpet of Conscience, 1967.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, December 11, 1964.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction ... The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. Strength To Love, 1963.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." Letter From A Birmingham Jail, 1963
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! I've Been To The Mountaintop, 1968
A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.
You know my friends, there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled by the iron feet of oppression ... If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. And if we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to Earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie, love has no meaning. And we are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Address to the first Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Mass Meeting, at Holt Street Baptist Church, 1955
Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, 1958
The gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only his soul but his body, not only his spiritual well-being, but his material well being. Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial. Pilgrimage to Non-Violence, 1960
delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Regina King, Malcolm Jamal-Warner to tie the knot soon?
Regina King and Malcolm-Jamal Warner are reportedly planning to get hitched soon. According to reports, the couple, who have been dating since last year, are “satisfied and content” with their relationship right now, so the question to whether take it to the next step or not should be a no-brainer.
The source explained, “Malcolm and Regina knew each other since the 80s, but two years ago their friendship blossomed into romance. They recently found a place together in Los Angeles and [they] are living as a family with her teenage son. Malcolm loves the boy as if he was his won, and Regina refers to Malcolm as her ‘soul mate’.”
Both King and Warner were 80s child stars. He starred on the “Cosby Show” and she was on “227.”
Regina King And Malcolm Jamal Warner Engaged?
Regina King and boyfriend Malcolm Jamal Warner are reportedly engaged. Sources say the couple have been living together since last year and are planning to get hitched.
According to Hollywood Gossip, the anonymous source says, “Malcolm and Regina are thrilled that they’ve found the most satisfying relationship of their lives. They’re both extremely content right now. Marriage is the next step.”
“Malcolm and Regina knew each other since the ’80s, but two years ago their friendship blossomed into romance. They recently found a place together in Los Angeles and (they) are living as a family with her teenage son.”
Her son, 13, is from her previous marriage to Ian Alexander. “Malcolm loves the boy as if he was his own. Regina refers to him as her ’soul mate’.”
Regina King and Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Engaged?
Regina King and Malcolm Jamal Warner have been dating since last year. Are they now on the verge of taking their relationship further? Maybe so!
Sources say the couple plan to get hitched. They have been living together since last year and have known each other since their child star heyday.
"Malcolm and Regina are thrilled that they've found the most satisfying relationship of their lives. They're both extremely content right now."
"Marriage is the next step."
A source said: "Malcolm and Regina knew each other since the '80s, but two years ago their friendship blossomed into romance. They recently found a place together in Los Angeles and (they) are living as a family with her teenage son."
Her son, 13, is from her previous marriage to Ian Alexander. "Malcolm loves the boy as if he was his own. Regina refers to him as her 'soul mate'."
They were both child stars in the '80s - him on the Cosby Show, her on 227 - when they first met. Fast forward three decades and ... you never know!
Weekly metals wrapup, Embry interview posted at King World News
Dear Friend of GATA and Gold (and Silver):
The weekly precious metals market review with Bill Haynes of CMI Gold & Silver and Dan Norcini of JSMineSet.com has been posted at King World News here:
And audio of the King World News interview with Sprott Asset Management's chief investment strategist, John Embry, which was summarized briefly for you Wednesday, has been posted here:
CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.
Wednesday Why-I-Love-The-Weekly-World-News Blogging Today we learn about rare medical conditions:
STONEWARE, Colo. – “I’m putty in everyone’s hands,” said Bob Gray, looking back on his fifty years. And it’s not surprising: he was born with a medical disorder that caused his entire body to have the consistency of clay! Despite a lifetime of difficulties, Gray is lucky to be alive at all. By a stroke of rare good fortune, the doctor who delivered him had read several articles about the strange condition in Weekly World News. Immediately recognizing the rare disorder, the scholarly obstetrician’s quick action saved the newborn’s life. “I used forceps to widen the birth canal so he wouldn’t be born like toothpaste,” Dr. Vern Caliper recalled. Gray’s parents admit they were initially shocked at his appearance. “Even with Dr. Caliper’s heroic efforts he looked like a pink Tootsie Roll,” recalled Bob’s father, Todd. “But after a few medical tests, the doctor confirmed that he had Kaolinemia – Clay Man Syndrome – which results in pliable bones, skin, internal organs and muscles.” (…) Dr. Caliper immediately began kneading the boy back into the shape of a normal baby. “I was even able to select the shape of his chin, to make it more like his dad’s,” Gray’s mother, Gwen, smiled. Now, as a middle-aged adult, Gray looks completely normal except for the faint letters “maR egdoD” on his forehead, the result of recently being struck by a pickup while crossing the street. He was otherwise unharmed, a benefit of his condition. “Oh, I’ve been healthy enough physically,” related Gray. “But it’s been an emotional nightmare. All my life people have tried to shape me into something I’m not. My high school basketball coach rolled me on the gym floor until I was a seven-foot-tall beanpole. It was humiliating. “But that wasn’t as bad as the time I fell asleep in the first grade,” shuddered Gray. “I was at my desk with my chin resting on my hands. I awoke to screams and realized my lower jaw was squished up against my nose. The teacher grabbed me by the ear to take me to the nurse but it kept stretching like Silly Putty. That got a lot of laughs and kind of broke the tension. I had to spend study hall putting myself back together. “But there were some advantages,” he went on. “What would have been a broken leg for other kids was nothing more than a rebending for me. And a little twisting and pinching made my face grotesquely horrifying for Halloween.” (…) Bob, who works as a bricklayer, has been married for times and blames the breakups on being too impressionable. “I’ve been nothing more than a Play-Doh plaything for all my wives,” Gray sighed…. “Maybe I’m just not firm enough with my women,” he added. “Females seem to have a power over me – I melt when I’m around them and fall in love in about two minutes. My buddies continually warn me not to get bent out of shape, but I’m putty in their hands.” Fortunately, things are looking up for Bob. He recently met a fine lady who seems to like him just the way he is. “I’ve never been happier,” he said. “Doris encourages me to be myself. In fact, I’m considering quitting my job and trying something totally new and different. Now that I have my confidence back, I’m not afraid to do something in the public eye. “Maybe I’ll do some modeling.”
I have to confess, the phrase “I used forceps to widen the birth canal so he wouldn’t be born like toothpaste” will probably haunt me for as long as I live…
