Monday, January 20, 2014

I don't have the ability to do this man justice today.


Tired of the dominant culture appropriating and misrepresenting who he was what he stood for, what his legacy is.

If I never see another piece presuming to tell us that he was first and foremost about class, not race, it'll still be too soon.  If I have to see another one of those yet today, I'm likely to lose it on that person's blighted and benighted head.

And I don't want to see any more "white sales" held in this man's name.  "White sale."  Could the irony burn any more if it tried?

So I'm going to post three requests, one for each aspect of my own ancestry (that is to say, red, white, black).  If you can do something for any or all them, I think it would be in the spirit of supporting the principles for which Dr. King gave his life.

Red:  Okiciyap ("We Help").  Feeding the body while feeding the spirit.  Keeping Native children, families, and elders from going hungry this winter.  Keeping our youth, most at-risk of any demographic, from suicide. 

White:  Paddy Kraska.  A blogger gone far too young, thanks to this country's worthless sense of priority and perspective.  Her family needs help with funeral expenses.  She was not quite 53.

Black:  The Tenor From Abidjan: A Documentary.  A spirit sister's daughter with a project to feed others' spirits, while telling a story from the Ivory Coast that needs to be told.  She's under the 4-figure mark now, but there are only 19 days left, and she needs to raise the full amount in that time or she gets none of it, including our own small pledge.

If you can help with any of them, please do.




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