Insight News ::: 8.29.11

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Gerald Albright headlines

SELBY AVENUE

JAZZFEST

Saturday, September 10th at the intersection MORE ON PAGE 5 of Milton and Selby from 11 AM to 8 PM. Free and open to the public. For more information visit www.selbyavejazzfest.com

INSIGHT NEWS August 29 - September 4, 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 35 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the teachable moment Notes on the struggle By Mahmoud El -Kati On August 28, 2011, joined many thousands of people for the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. This was the forty eighth anniversary of the great march on Washington, when roughly 300,000 people of all class backgrounds, shades of colors, ethnicities and political leanings gathered to register redressed of grievances on behalf of twenty five million descendants of the American Slave. And this was an unprecedented affair, which paved the road to what now we call multiculturalism of diversity. This was a watershed event in the history of the American republic. Upon reflection, we can determine the several reasons how unprecedented it was: It was the greatest demonstration for social justice in the history of the nation. There have been several marches, protests, or demonstrations since exceeding the size of this great gathering, but none with historic weight, its urgency, clarity and cry for an open society. Every mass

gathering in our nation’s capital since has been but a footnote to the great march on Washington. The meaning and magic of that moment is still difficult to compute. Due to the relative new meaning of television, the entire world was looking into the fish bowl that was America at that time. Countless lessons were shared with the world by this demonstration. The first amendment right of peaceful assembly before or since has never been more nobly presented. Some of the countries’ most eloquent voices were heard pleading to or demanding from the American government to obey its own constitution, regarding God given rights of the “of the Negro”. Every speaker, it seemed, was there to “bear witness” to the rise of the new and just America. And yet of all the splendid word smiths spouting wisdom and flowing poetic phrases, none stood out with such magic and compelling oratory than the young minister fresh from the fires of struggle for social justice in the American South. He, with thousands of other lesser known lights from sweaty jails and dangerous dark roads of the rural south had come to “bear witness” on this day, Martin Luther king was able to inspire the better angels among many Americans. Many

U.S. Information Agency

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Mathew Ahmann, executive director of the National Catholic Conference for Interrracial Justice, at a civil rights march on Washington, D.C.

important parts of this exhibit of democracy in action congealed. No public speaker in American history had every addressed a larger audience. The fruition of years of intergenerational struggle for social justice was at hand. What we now know as the Civil Rights movement had surfaced, full blown now with all of the principle players in place. The six major civil rights organizations had coalesced as leadership organizations of a powerful social movement, the most critical social movement for human rights since its predecessor, the Abolitionist movement of the 19th century America. To boot, 1963 was the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. One of Dr. Kings favorite expressions was zeitgeist, a word lifted from the German language which translates roughly into “nothing can stop an idea whose time has come”. Thus, Martin Luther King seized this moment as a teachable moment. He reminded his fellow Americans that, “one hundred years later, “the Negro” dwells on” an isolated island of poverty in a land of material abundance, and that “the Negro” is an exile in his own country.

MLK TURN TO 8

The Living Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. AARP released a thought provoking video that captures the true spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. The 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s historic I Have a Dream speech was celebrated Aug. 28 at the official dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This is the first memorial on the National Mall to honor a

man of color and the only one that does not commemorate a president or a war. Reflecting on this historic moment, AARP’s My Generation created a stirring video tribute titled “The Living Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” that profiles several contemporary leaders who reflect on the ways Dr. King’s work changed their lives.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Gen. Colin L. Powell (Ret.), acclaimed journalist Colman McCarthy, Freedom Rider Rev. Perry A. Smith, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and a host of others share their thoughts and observations on how Dr. King’s living legacy continues to shape our world todayincluding the recent nonviolent revolution in Egypt.

“It is important to capture the extraordinary life of Dr. King, and to show how his steadfast pursuit for civil and human rights remains relevant today,” said A. Barry Rand, CEO, AARP. “We believe this video will inspire Americans, particularly those who remember how he fought for peace among all people, so they can share his messages of

justice, democracy and hope with today’s generation.” Paying homage to Dr. King and to the nonviolent campaigns to secure civil rights for which he stood, the video includes momentous footage from the Civil Rights Movement, and commentary from representatives of the Asian American Justice Center, United Farm Workers and

American Islamic Congress. Go to http://www.aarp.org/ politics-society/history/info07-2011/video-living-legacyof-martin-luther-king-jr.html to view video. To learn more about the many ways AARP is addressing topics of interest to the 50+ African American community, go to www.aarp. org/blackcommunity.

Boone Containers builds new brand Persaud. The problem is that Waste Management also acquired Boone’s phone number. So, when I called for my friends at Boone, to rent a dumpster container for the garage demolition scheduled for my residence, I was surprised when the phone was answered, “Waste Management.” I thought I had a wrong number. I checked Google again and redialed. “Waste Management.” Of course the Waste Management people could have supplied the dumpster. They are in that business too. But I try to always practice Black Economic Development and community economic development when I purchase goods and services. I have used the Boone company with complete satisfaction for over 30 years, whenever I had need of a container for construction or remodeling and the like.

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief If you are doing residential or business renovation and require a dumpster, the folks at Boone Container, regarded by many as best in the class, want you to know that they are still around and ready to serve. A lot of former customers may be sidetracked by calling the number provided by a Google search. If you search for Boone Trucking, which till recently was the parent company of the garbage hauling, commercial trucking, and container business, you get a greeting by someone from Waste Management. Waste Management is the Goliath sized mega-firm that purchased a part of the Boone enterprise…the household trash hauling part. But the container part continues under the business name Boone Container, under the direction of owner Gerald Boone and his office manager Sharon

Al McFarlane

Gerald Boone

Protest

JOBS NOW targets Boehner fundraiser

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Business

Somali gourmet event supports famine relief

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Education

Harvest Prep educators attend technology integration workshop

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BOONE TURN TO 7

Lifestyle

Easy ways to brighten-up your home

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