Forty Years Later

In 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in the spring. In August that year Kathleen and I were in Chicago for the Democratic Convention, protesting the war in Vietnam. She had gone back to Louisville to work but I was still there in Grant Park the night of the “police riot” that filled the air with tear gas and the Chicago jail with protestors, many seriously injured by the police. Last night as over one hundred thousand people gathered in that same park to see Barack Obama proclaim victory in the presidential election it was a great day for the United States and for the world.

I would not possibly have believed forty years ago that I would see the United States elect a Black President. Not in my life time, but yesterday we did.

We said then “The whole world is watching.” Last night the whole world was watching this unprecedented, historic moment.

Thanks be to God!

A Week in Memphis

Kathleen and I spent the past week in Memphis, TN. Actually we spent Monday and much of Saturday at O'Hare Field, the Chicago Airport.

The Racial Ethnic Multicultural Network of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education was meeting there for an Annual Meeting, and Kathleen’s associate was meeting a committee to receive full certification as a CPE Supervisor. She did receive this certification, which was cause to celebrate on Beale Street where we ate Barbecue and listened to Blues. Memphis is famous for both.

The conference was centered around remembering Dr. Martin Luther King who was gunned down in Memphis on the balcony of the Loraine Motel on April 4, 1968, forty years ago. We heard a panel of REM founders all talk about how Dr. King’s life and ministry effected them, attended seminars, worshipped and participated in City Wide Events remembering Dr. King.

He had gone to Memphis in 1968 to support the garbage workers who wanted union recognition (AFSCME), decent wages, and to be treated with dignity as men. They claimed that the city of Memphis was treating them like dogs and their signs read, I AM A MAN.

A few more pictures from the March.
On Friday we joined hundreds of others in walking the route the marchers took on April 4, 1968 with Dr. King at the lead. It was 6:01 PM that evening that shots rang out and Dr. King fell dead on the balcony of the Loraine Motel. The march ended at the Motel where everyone spoke. Both Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton passed us by in the crowd and we saw John McCain on the Motel Balcony. He now wants to apologize for voting against making Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday. A little late, don’t you think?

We toured the National Civil Rights Museum with included the Loraine Motel, STAX Records Museum, and attended a huge gala celebration where Harry Belafonte was Honored (and spoke 20 or 30 minutes). He was supposed to make a brief response, but took the time allocated for Dr. Joseph Lowry, who gave him a very hard time, but them spoke briefly and to the point.

If there were any Clinton supporters on the platform that night they were certainly undercover, most of the speakers were clearly supporting Barak Obama.

The food, by the way was awful, overdone tough steak. A terrible choice to try to serve a big crowd. The tickets were $100 full price, although REM had a much cheaper price by buying multiple tables.