We have turned Dr. Martin Luther King into a superhero -- and thrown away the key.
It's worse than prison; because without his unsolicited status he could have flaws, and make mistakes, and even be wrong on occasion.
That's not his lot.
Instead, some of the varnish flakes off when we look too closely. We 'discover' that Coretta wasn't the only object of his sexual affections, and take points away.
We hear his off-pulpit profanity, and try to juxtapose "motherfucker" with "I have a dream."
Its a fool's errand, because the same mind and mouth think and speak both extremes. The same brain and body enjoy the sex in both places. And the same intellect and intuition could see assassination coming, and admire a nice ass walking away.
We should be ashamed of ourselves.
If he were alive today, I wonder if Dr. King would see his role and historic speech at the March on Washington as the highlight of his life. If he were a movie star, I wonder if that wouldn't have been the blockbuster in a career that preferred small independent roles. I have a lot of questions about King. I admire him MORE now that his humanity shines through.
In ninth grade English Lit, Mrs. Mullenberg taught me that every viable hero has a tragic flaw. Growing up, I was never allowed to peek at the dark side of the Good Reverend Doctor.
Wasn't allowed to watch his stress build until he released it into some sexy Southern Belle he wasn't married to.
Couldn't acknowledge his anger spewing out in four-letter tirades among his closest friends. I am confident "the Movement" had its morons, and I wonder how he suffered them.
We have turned Dr. King into the Barbie Doll of civil rights; no genitalia, just a pretty face.
But the orator I have come to respect more is a multi-faceted MAN. A child of the 40s and 50s with warring spirits riding on each shoulder.
I can relate to THAT guy. One of MY angels covers his eyes with his wings about half the time. The other carries a pistol. And he ain't afraid to use it.
My man King is a man who could be distracted by pretty legs escalating into a plaid miniskirt while crafting a message that would change the course of history.
This is MY King. Not the superhero .. the man.
I have my differences with his philosophy. I abhor the use of children in warfare. It was his most effective tactic. I think "turn the other cheek" is a message of subterfuge crafted by men who plan to slap me. He found it a viable and controllable force of the universe, like gravity. I find pacifism degrading. He rode it to a place in history's Pantheon of greatness.
I am glad to live in the pool of promise made possible by his sacrifice.
I don't craft word pictures for the weak at heart. I don't write to make me feel good, or you feel better. I write because sometimes shit's got to be said. And I'm tired enough of the bullshit to say it.
I'm sick of the Superhero King. Tired of rehashing the Lincoln Memorial, and forgetting the Birmingham jail. Bored with fights over the holiday that don't ever reference the dog bites, and water hose bruises. I save my respect for the real guy who probably yelled at planning sessions, and held his own in the political in-fights, even if it meant crushing his opponents.
I like to read between the lines. And when I read the story of this phenomenal life, I see children left at home, fatherless for months at a time, while a bus line was being integrated.
I see a lonely, gorgeous wife -- married to an icon, when she might have preferred a warm body to cuddle up next to sometimes.
I see a church thrust into a harsh international spotlight by their baby-faced pastor when they might have preferred a Reverend who was in town long enough to visit the sick and shut in.
And I admire the, ... the, ... the, the SUCK it must have been to BE Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.
Many people have asked what Dr. King would think about the 'black community' if he were alive today. Would he recognize it? Would he regret his role in its "progress."
I don't know, and he's not here to tell me. But my question is different..
If Dr. King were alive today, would he recognize himself? Would he smile ... or ... wince, at the Superhero Negro we have created in his image?
Happy Birthday, Dr. King. Can I buy you a beer?
Peace,
--Stew.
I understand and appreciate your point about celebration requiring full knowledge. I also get that Rev. King cursed and had extra marital affairs. But I also have a question of my own that has nothing to do with today and King's perspective.
ReplyDeleteWhy would we want to celebrate or even acknowledge King's baser or more human traits?
After all, that's not why or how he changed history. Perhaps more aptly put, if saying motherfucker made one great, I be a "King" in my own right. Motherfucker is my favorite curse. As you know, I say motherfucker, well, like a motherfucker. I.E. I''m a motherfuckin' saying motherfucker, but that won't get me a holiday or a place in history.
Moreover, I admire King for those qualities he had which I don't. I can write a speech and deliver it pretty well. What I can't do is inspire a large segment of our nation to make a change to the betterment thereof. I don't have the courage to commit to the greater good at the expense of my family; I sure don't have the courage to defy a plethora of would-be assasins wherever I go.
Yes, all in all, King was a man like any other, but what seems most relevant to me is how he was like no other man. Thank God for superheroes, otherwise we'd just be a race of unspecial motherfuckers.
i posted the king photo on my facebook wall as my profile pic a few days before MLK day.
ReplyDeleteand one of my friends sent me a note asking "was MLK in prison? i didn't know he'd gone to jail."
that's what prompted the blog. she's good people. i know her, respect her. but she didn't know.
and it set me to thinking about how we portray him.
where WOULD a person learn about that whole thing? a google search turns up plenty of pro, AND con. and most of the mainstream black media really poo-poos the questions about his Doctorate, and his infidelity, and his cigarette smoking, and his reluctance to join the movement.
and it leaves his critics all alone to point out his flaws and mock them. and their mockery stands because of his superhero image.
i have PLENTY of superheros. I'm an aquaman fan. and i like the Unknown Soldier. i don't need to celebrate King as a Superhero. i'd rather celebrate him as a normal black man with flaws and all.
that allows his accomplishments to be spectacular.
it's no big deal when Superman flies.
OK, I think here as well, our differences are in the approach, but from the same perspective we would see this similarly. One of my friends at work is "in the movement" as a card carrying member of something- I wanna say C.O.R.E., but I am not sure. Anyway, for her, King walked on water, literally. King was essentially the second coming; he never swore, was ever faithful - all of that. She also spends a ridiculous amount of time defending King's professional scholarship. All of this seems utterly stupid to me.
ReplyDeleteI've read enough about the topic to know the questions surrounding King's doctorate. That is to say many of the practical experience requirements were waived. To me, this is a non issue. Considering what he was doing, of course, those silly requirements were waived. King went far beyond that. Some people don't see it that way. There are also some serious questions about whether or not he actually even wrote the thesis, or rather, if he failed to attribute ll of his sources. And my reaction to all of this is big fucking deal, so what. Theoretical education is meant to give someone a knowledge base for success, that's all. Given what Dr. King did, 10 Ph.D's wouldn't amount to half as much. So while Angela spends all this effort defending the minor details of the personage, she misses the man.
That said, I don't think King was a regular person; I think in some sense he was indeed super human. But like you, I'd like to have a gin and tonic with him as we watch some juicy butts dancing.
When President Obama was elected I felt queasy and uneasy about the manner in which the public responded to him.
ReplyDeleteI mean of course there has been the blatant hatred and gross vilification which has no basis in reality, or at least no basis that I can readily comprehend.
But then there were those among us who seemed to place him on an impossible pedestal of sainthood. And this continues, in denial of let downs that such worshippers ought to find minimally disappointing, at least. While I am glad that people might feel hopeful and proud of the American process and the American dream, I do see such emotional platitudes as a kind of super mega bus veering us all into head on traffic. I mean, such departures from reality, such unmitigated emotional bouts, are dangerously deceiving. It's similar to patriotism without fully understanding the true nature of country about which you hold such love.
This comment may seem disjointed and random, but your blog post here about Dr. King reminded me about these experiences.
So, perhaps, Dr. King was "super human" as Matty said. But perhaps what happened then to transform our country could happen any time the right conditions collide with a certain kind of man. He had influence, he had the courage to tell the truth and dare I say he probably lied when necessary, he knew what to say. But when you point out his mortal flaws, they seem consistent with the kind of metal that makes success. Unshakable confidence and drive. It rises a person to great heights. When one believes in self, it is contagious. Self love, is this the same thing? Perhaps it is. Idealization itself is a curse, blinding us from the truth that we so need to see on the course of achieving great heights and also on the course of avoiding the fall. In other words narcissism, if I can use such an "ugly" word, has both an upswing and a fatal fall.