The inspirational leader Rev. William Barber 11 is stepping down from his post as chair of the North Carolina NAACP to launch a national movement.
http://nypost.com/2017/05/11/naacp-leader-who-led-north-carolina-protest-movement-to-step-down/
His strong voice for moral strength, equal rights, dignity, courage in the face of adversity, and love is needed more than ever today.
This is wonderful news. We need to see and hear more of Rev. Barber on a national platform. He has much to teach us and can lead us to act.
From the article:
“The groups plan major actions next summer, which would mark the 50th anniversary of the start of King’s campaign in 1968.”
and
““Dr. King said in 1968 we needed a moral revolution of values, and we say we need a moral revival.””
What “campaign” did MLK start in 68?
Is Barber talking about King’s call in his April 67 “Beyond Vietnam” speech?
Someone help me out, as I am confused as to what is being referred.
King was assassinated in spring of ’68. Seems kind of hard to start much of anything after that. Besides maybe fertilizing daffodils.
Really? You had to say this? Really???
Thank you Zorba!
Just lovely, Dienne. And you were the one offended by Colbert’s blue joke about Trump and Putin? Words fail me….
Thank you too, Mark. Your response is much more measured than the one I repressed.
He is referring to the Poor People’s Campaign which grew out of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s anti-poverty work (which was also initiated by Martin Luther King, Jr.). When Dr. King was assassinated, his goal was to create a multi-racial grassroots movement to fight poverty that was based on the anti-segregation work to which he was committed in his public life. Here’s a quick summation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People%27s_Campaign (I can hear Lloyd choking from laughter as he doubles over gasping for breath).
Thanks for the info, GregB.
Not sure what your comment about Lloyd is, probably don’t want to know.
Sorry, should have clarified. We had a debate a while ago on the virtues of Wikipedia and I am generally not a fan. Nothing bad, just rank hypocrisy on my part.
We have long needed a spokesperson for social justice on the national level. Though at just a little more than a hundred days of Trump and the conservatives, people are already weary of turning back the clock, listening to lie after lie, and watching rights evaporate with the slash of a pen. Many people are already organizing and protesting, but united front will be harder to ignore. Justice Ginsburg stated she believes a pendulum would be a good symbol for our democracy. When it swings too far to the right, people will work harder to get it to swing to the left.
Not sure I agree with the pendulum metaphor as it leaves out a crucial element in our perceptions of things-time. A better metaphor for me is that of a slinky stretched out wherein things may circle around as one goes down the length (time) of the metal. Although I did see a pendulum somewhere, don’t remember where that slowly completed a circle over the span of a day due to the earth’s rotation. An interesting device, that Foucault Pendulum, might make for a better metaphor.
I hope that Rev. William Barber II will mind his health so the moral force of his message and action is sustained over time.
This is good news! We need more leaders in the arena to assert a powerful moral message.
This is good news. I’ve often wondered why Cornel West hasn’t initiated a pan-ethnic movement for social justice in this country. Than again, smart men of African descent–I’m thinking of Dr. King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, et al–who have started such movements haven’t fared well,
Godspeed Reverend Barber! You’ll have my support.