Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Cal-Trans is taking the day off. They deserve it, and more. I am also taking the day off in honor of MLK, but also to honor John Lewis who has been speaking truth to power and seeking justice and civil rights for all people of color for over 50 years. He is a modern hero who hasn’t had to be assassinated in order to attain that status.
In 1967, I, a young white, California girl, found myself in Alabama. My eyes were opened to the blatant discrimination that I had never seen – “Whites Only” and “Coloreds Only” signs everywhere. Lines, separate sections, seats, and all that you may have read about. I came to understand the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s on a visceral level rather than just an intellectual one. It is an experience I carry to this day. Today, I take the day off. Honor those who speak truth to power today … and tomorrow … and next year. It is important and necessary.
you are phenomenal!
Go for it Kate! You deserve it as anyone working hard! And re your support of John Lewis~ & then there was/is, Hillary Clinton~ Power over Truth! Exactly why she lost! Praise Goddess! 🌞🌞🌞
Martin Luther King really said it all with his words, “I HAVE A DREAM”. I remember back in the early 60’s as a little kid, and we went to New Orleans. I was so befuddled having to watch out for the signs everywhere, “Whites only, Blacks only” and on and on. It made no sense to me. Then in ’66 our family spent time on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which looked exactly like California, with high snowy mountains and empty sun-soaked surfing beaches. There, we lived in a mining camp in a valley, and had to put up with mortar rounds flying over our heads between Greek and Turk encampments on the opposite ridges above that valley. To travel around the island, we had to pass through numerous checkpoints, and if we passed a Greek checkpoint with any Turk friends, or a Turk checkpoint with Greek friends, we would all be shot to death. When we had dinner with our friends, Greek or Turk, as a confused 14 year-old, I would ask “Why do you hate the Greeks (or Turks) so much?” Our friends would simply say, “That is the way is has ALWAYS been.” (Referring back to 3,000 BC or so). In exasperation, I would wonder why, why, why do these good people hate each other so and make things so difficult for no good reason! When we returned back to the good ol’ USA, the Civil Rights Movement and all the violence was in going full-bore. Once again, I wondered, why do people have to hate each other just because of color of skin???! It just made no sense to my teenage mind…
And then, on the news, I heard those words, “I HAVE A DREAM.”.
And how those words DID make sense! …and still do!
That dream is just as alive in all of us today as it was back then.
Thanks, Martin Luther!
In the words of Kris Kristofferson:
“‘Cause everybody’s gotta have somebody to look down on
Who they can feel better than at any time they please”
I’m with you celebrating MLK and John Lewis day!
OK, Cal Trans I’m ready for the latest rash of storm activity, future road closures, and other mayhem.