Baltimore, MD (BlackNews.com) - If Dr. King were here, alive not just in spirit, I wonder...WHAT WOULD MARTIN THINK? What would he think about what we have become since the founding of the Civil Rights Movement he headed? What would Martin think about what we have done with the baton (the legacy) he passed on to us?
Can we truly say that we have answered the call to uplift the down trodden with our time, talent and treasure when there is clearly still an urgent need?
What would he think of the high profile, publicity seeking pretenders who have no plan and no clear objectives other than to extort money from corporate America, delivering no results of real consequence?
What would Martin think about the reluctance or refusal of our youth to take full advantage of the educational opportunities from which their forbearers were LEGALLY excluded?
We have young people who are looking for and in desperate need of role models...instead they are given the pressures of striving to have more and doing less.
In the days before his death -- Brother King was wrestling with so many issues. He was concerned that the movement was losing ground. He was concerned because a myriad of voices were raising questions about he method of non-violence that he practiced. People were upset because it appeared that little progress was being made. And, at the same time, lives were being lost for the sake of an unrealized freedom and equality.
It has often been said that God speaks through His people...and; one has to believe that on many occasions God sent messages to and through Martin Luther King, Jr.
In our lifetime, we will likely never fully know the legacy and the true value of Martin Luther King, Jr. However, as the nation pauses to recognize Brother King, we must believe as King, that we people of faith, have been called by a mighty God to continue to do His work.
Brother King would want us to expand our focus from Civil Rights to Silver Rights; to become more financially literate and economically empowered. He would not want us to trade old masters for pagans. Possessions can be taken in the blink of an eye...just ask the folks in New Orleans.
Many great men and women have gone on before us and not one of them sought greatness. But, through their tireless works greatness was earned because they put self last and others first. Henry Ward Beecher said, "Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength."
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is calling on the nation to show its strength...To use its strength...To show its greatness. Help your fellow man to rise up and to raise up those who shall follow.
We cannot hope for another Martin. We must all become like Martin. We hold the keys to the forward progress of the race and harmony we seek. And, in doing this, we truly will honor the ultimate sacrifice that this great man made.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, and Cornel West. among others that include members of the 110th Congress including: Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO), Charles B. Rangel (NY), Danny K. Davis (IL), Chaka Fattah (PA), Al Green (TX), Gregory Meeks (NY), David Scott (GA), Robert C. Scott (VA). The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Monica Wood | MWPR, Inc.
704-430-6300
mwood@mwprinc.com
