What Would Martin Say?

By Felicia Pride
If history was changed and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had not been assassinated on that Memphis hotel balcony forty years ago today, there's no question that he would be outspoken about many of the racial and social problems that continue to plague America.

Since Dr. King's assassination, America has changed. Or has it? We may see our first black or female president, but what does this say about the overall journey toward equality that Dr. King fought so hard for?

Two new books, April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr's Death and How It Changed America by prolific author Michael Eric Dyson and What Would Martin Say by confidante to Dr. King, Clarence B. Jones (coauthored by Joel Engel), aim to give insight into the thoughts and legacy of the prophetic leader as well as offer commentary on how far we've come in realizing his dream.
April 4, 1968 by Michael Eric Dyson, uses the assassination of Dr. King as a starting point to examine the fate of Black America over the four decades since Dr. King uttered the words, "I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land."

In his introduction, Dyson writes, "Are we any closer to King's beloved community, or are we wandering in a vast racial wilderness from which there is no easy escape? If the signs of arrival into the land of milk and honey are strongest for the wealthiest among us, they are depressing and weak for the poorest. Our faltering quest for justice for the lowliest members of our community suggests the responsibility of the most gifted to forge a path on their behalf. This, after all, is how King spent his last days, fighting for the rights and increased wages of striking sanitation workers."

Consistently throughout the book, Dyson wonders: Since Dr. King is no longer with us, what does his death and subsequent legacy mean in the black community? Are we still moving in the right direction? Naturally, the answer is as complex as the question.

Clarence B. Jones, former attorney, close friend to Dr. King, and one of the drafters of the I Have A Dream speech, says that Dr. King, "may have done more to foster racial, social and political justice in the U.S. than any other event or person in the previous 400 years." In his new book, What Would Martin Say, Jones has crafted sophisticated answers to what Dr. King would say about such topics as today's black leadership, affirmative action, illegal immigration, anti-semitism, terrorism and the war in Iraq, and about who killed him.

About Black leadership, Jones writes, "Martin would not question the courage of today's black leaders, but he might very well wonder about their dedication to the cause that would be furthered, if not achieved, by an insistence that black people avoid the quicksand of victimization and instead pursue excellence regardless of barriers."

In the midst of Obama's popularity, Jones also writes, "Over the last forty years I've been asked one question more than any other: Who now reminds me most of Martin Luther King. The answer is no one. Martin Luther King was sui generis--one of a kind, unique. Who, after all, is like Michelangelo? Or Galileo, or Einstein, or Mozart, or Shakespeare?

There was only one Dr. Martin Luther King, but does that mean, because he's no longer with us, that his dream of true equality be forfeited?

Both books highlight, in different ways, the progresses and failures of Black America since 1968. On the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's death, it is clear that Black America needs to take a time-out, stop, think, reevaluate, and become honest about where we're going after fully realizing where we've been.

Felicia Pride is an author, speaker and welcomed voice of her generation. She's the founder of The BackList (www.thebacklist.net), an organization dedicated to using the power of words to uplift individuals and their communities. Felicia facilitates writing, publishing, and other creative workshops, curates events, and develops community initiatives. Shes a featured speaker at schools, universities, and events around the country, and has written for an array of publications . Her most recent book is The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs. Visit her online at www.feliciapride.com.