Ok, not quite, but I was born before 4 Apr 68, the day Martin Luther King was assasinated. Also, if you think I will tell you my age...forget it! Just take my word on this one!
What do I mean when I say I was there? Well, for the record, I was there standing face to face with straight up racism and its alter ego, discrimination. Together, these two masked marauders have shaped not only our nation, but has been a force behind the shaping of our world.
You see, I can recall walking into a barbershop in Phoenix back in the early 90's trying to get my doo did. Well, the white barber/stylist claimed she had left her clippers at home. I'm thinking, this is a b-a-r-b-e-r-s-h-o-p and this is where one would go for a haircut. Not that day! After a brief 3-5 minute conversation with the beautician, I was unable to get the service which was advertised on the outside of the establishment.
On another occasion, just prior to the famed video beat down of Rodney "Can't We All Just Get Along" King, I was pulled over by a cop in the Show Me State of Missouri for what the officer told me was a taillight that was out. This of course came after several polite attempts of me asking the officer why was I pulled over.
I was travelling to home from church that night with my wife and two sons (5 yrs and 3 months respectively). I was in a suit & tie, while my wife was in a dress. We posed no threat whatsoever, and on that night, the officers took me down to the station because of what he deemed to be a broken taillight.
Meanwhile, at the station the officer (whose name is not forgotten) was instructing me about the ticket and my upcoming court date. After gathering the information from the officer and realizing that I would not be in the country during the time of my so called court appearance because I was being reassigned to an overseas location with the US Armed Forces. When I made this observation known to the officers, what happened next was my ticket (no pun intended) outta that joint. The officers snatched the ticket from me (unsigned) and let me go.
I could only imagine if I went AWOL (that's absent without leave for those of you not familiar with the military) they would have some explaining to do.
Long story short, well I was there in Atlanta to see the childhood neighborhood where Dr Martin L King lived. I tour the fire station and his church, Ebeneezer Baptist church. His Center for Non-Violence was very enlightening and intriguing to say the least.
I was there when racism and discrimination called me out. But I would have to credit my mother for instilling in my good strong morals and respect as two elements which countered this sensitive situation. As we reflect on the legacy of Dr King and commemorate his life, may we all do our part to put away racism and discrimination.
Love,
RM
What do I mean when I say I was there? Well, for the record, I was there standing face to face with straight up racism and its alter ego, discrimination. Together, these two masked marauders have shaped not only our nation, but has been a force behind the shaping of our world.
You see, I can recall walking into a barbershop in Phoenix back in the early 90's trying to get my doo did. Well, the white barber/stylist claimed she had left her clippers at home. I'm thinking, this is a b-a-r-b-e-r-s-h-o-p and this is where one would go for a haircut. Not that day! After a brief 3-5 minute conversation with the beautician, I was unable to get the service which was advertised on the outside of the establishment.
On another occasion, just prior to the famed video beat down of Rodney "Can't We All Just Get Along" King, I was pulled over by a cop in the Show Me State of Missouri for what the officer told me was a taillight that was out. This of course came after several polite attempts of me asking the officer why was I pulled over.
I was travelling to home from church that night with my wife and two sons (5 yrs and 3 months respectively). I was in a suit & tie, while my wife was in a dress. We posed no threat whatsoever, and on that night, the officers took me down to the station because of what he deemed to be a broken taillight.
Meanwhile, at the station the officer (whose name is not forgotten) was instructing me about the ticket and my upcoming court date. After gathering the information from the officer and realizing that I would not be in the country during the time of my so called court appearance because I was being reassigned to an overseas location with the US Armed Forces. When I made this observation known to the officers, what happened next was my ticket (no pun intended) outta that joint. The officers snatched the ticket from me (unsigned) and let me go.
I could only imagine if I went AWOL (that's absent without leave for those of you not familiar with the military) they would have some explaining to do.
Long story short, well I was there in Atlanta to see the childhood neighborhood where Dr Martin L King lived. I tour the fire station and his church, Ebeneezer Baptist church. His Center for Non-Violence was very enlightening and intriguing to say the least.
I was there when racism and discrimination called me out. But I would have to credit my mother for instilling in my good strong morals and respect as two elements which countered this sensitive situation. As we reflect on the legacy of Dr King and commemorate his life, may we all do our part to put away racism and discrimination.
Love,
RM
2 comments:
Show me a barber who comes to work without clippers and I'll show you a dairy farmer who goes to milk a cow without a bucket.
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