Mapping America’s Brutal Past, and Humanity’s Capacity for Revolt - COLORLINES

Mapping America’s Brutal Past, and Humanity’s Capacity for Revolt - COLORLINES

Martin Luther King on Leadership and Responsibility

As i reflected back on what Martin was able to do in a time of great uncertainty and cultural unrest, leadership and not management drove the Movement. These terms many times are interchanged in the business world. We are in a time where we need Leadership to lead people and manage people if we are live in a rapidly changing world of technology, human resource and communication overload. 

I was communicating with a friend of mine on education where I referred to and undercurrent of what I call the Tsunami of Trust. I believe that there is a growing perspective of a lack of trust with school systems to educate students. More importantly the students of color. A greater concern for me is that the Tsunami of Trust of our current  Political, Educational, Corporate and Economic Leadership. etc.

Where will our next great leaders come from, where we can hold them to accountable to the statement below by Dr. King?

The Need for Great Leaders

"A time like this demands great leaders. Leaders whom the lust of office cannot kill; leaders whom the spoils of life cannot buy; leaders who possess opinions and will; leaders who will not lie; leaders who can stand before a demagogue and damn his treacherous flatteries without winking. Tall leaders, sun-crowned, who live above the fog in public duty and in private thinking."

A Realistic Look at the Question of Progress in the Area of Race Relations, St. Louis Freedom Rally, April 10, 1957

A Leader's Responsibility

"On some positions, cowardice asks the question, 'Is it expedient?' And then expedience comes along and asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' Conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right."

Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution, March 31, 1968

How often are we desensitizing issues, not asking the right questions out of fear and/or challenging issues on the basis doing the right things. If we are committed to doing the right things because it is the right thing to do, our world, community and families will have a place where courage conversations can happen.  These conversations can raise an awareness and encourage solutions that are inclusive and collaborative to deal with the real causes of many problems.

I will seek to set the example of asking the right questions and following my conscience.

I would love to get your feedback on applying King's words to today's leaders and leadership.

View on Martin Luther King and today's condition

Yesterday was full of emotion, education and empathy.  I spent most of the day reading and watching what ever I could on King, Civil Rights and the reflection of where we are as a society. I wanted to spend some time with a few perspectives by Martin.

On Being American and Being Inclusive

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."

Letter From Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

As I watched and read yesterday, I reflected on this letter from the Birmingham Jail. We do not have enough me to cover what was going on at the time, but Dr. King put Diversity and Inclusion into perspective eloquently.  Should we not use this view on HealthCare, Poverty, Arizona and Rooney Rule. These and many other things affects directly our empathy for how we treat all americans.  He advocated that we must not have a narrow focus but the gaps of education and wealth continue to grow.  Many view success by what one has in the pot and not building the kingdom so that there is enough for everybody.

Finally, do people feel like outsiders in this country.  Hispanic, Latino, Asian Pacific, African American and single parent families.I wonder how they are portrayed in the media, at their jobs and in our communities. As the divide grows between the have and have nots, social supports are being cut and civil rights are being challenged, I ask rare we our brothers/sisters keeper?

Does Martin Luther King Day have relevance with the youth today?

Yesterday was Martin Luther King's birthday. While mentoring students at a local high school, I showed the documentary The Witness. This documentary was based on the perspective and knowledge of Reverend William Kyles, the only person on the balcony that famous day in Memphis. A bit shocking was the lack of relevance Martin Luther King had with these African American ninth grade students. As the movie started the young men were not interested as a group. I judged this by the amount of chatter, heads going down and doodling with other things. So I starting asking my self the question, is MLK relevant and do kids only view his life as a day off of school.  Five minutes into The Witness, there was a shift in the interest of my mentees.  I observe boys moving their seats closer to the screen, intensely focused and impacted by what they were watching.  Could my assumption be wrong, do young people have an appreciation for the recent history?

Shortly after the movie anded with the grand finish. You can kill the Dreamer, but you can not, can not kill the Dream. These same young boys who had no connection with MLK and his life, quacked blurted out questions about MLk and that time in our country,  many made associations to changes that have come about and things that have not changed.

I am still not sure if I have a strong position one way or the other.  Is Martin Luther King relevant to kids today?

Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Sports

As I gathered myself this morning, pour a cup of coffee and started my daily read I cam across this article on ESPN.  The article is titled Survey shows split  on racial opportunity by Mark Fainaru-Wada. As I read this article many thoughts ran through my mind. As the first African American Athletic Director in Anne Arundel County, these figures and thought rang so true. As we approach Martin Luther king's birthday and I have a dream speech, the question still remains are we all judged by the content of our character rather than the color of our skin.

This article suggests that although progress has been made a significant gap still exists and in my opinion widening. The first part of the article deals with coaches salaries on the Professional and Collegiate levels. Here there is a delta of a million dollars or more. I would like to see were the delta tulle is if you include perks such as TV shows, speaking engagements, athletic and commercial sponsorships, etc. Secondly, the article articulates the number of jobs held by African Americans. How is it that a supply of approximately 80% African American scholarship athletes equate to less than 10% of the coaching fraternity? And even less in Administration and ownership.

Just as important as opportunity, media positioning of athletes has one scratching his head. From Roethisberger to Vick, Clemens to Bonds, Labron's Decision to Danny Ainge's genius and the questioning of the Rooney Rule, there clearly is Brainwashing going on.

The last two college football games were a great representation of media brainwashing. Try and wrap your mind around the twists of the Ohio State football situation.  NCAA knows about violations before
Bowl game.  Players identified, I believe are all African American. Student-athletes are allowed to play and win the game but are placed on probation for five games. Media Coverage does not hold Ohio State directly accountable nor does it criticize the NCAA for making a business decision on Money. Auburn and Mississippi State and Cameron Newton is a dog chasing it tale that is being sold that Cameron Newton and his family are the only ones with questionable ethics.  I wonder if he had stayed at Mississippi State would we have ever heard of this? What will the numbers say about Cameron Newton and the National Title for Auburn University. Increase in enrollment, booster support, advertisements and endorsements, TV contract, Under Armour, etc for $180,000. Hum

Was this what Martin Luther King saw when he went to The Mountain Top or I Have a Dream? I would say not. As our country's diversity has changed significantly, greater access, fair pay and positive media coverage is needed now more than ever.


Survey: Fans see sports as racially progressive

New Years Resolution; You are the choices you make

This blog will cover much of what I see, present and experience through my interactions with our young people and artless surrounding education.

For the past two years, I have been mentoring young males at several public high schools. The young males that I mentor bring many challenges to our sessions. Challenges range from an inability to trust, manage self discipline and basic life skills. Since our first meeting, we conversed about making decisions and the consequences that come with them.  Many of these young men already had it figured out and did not take well to the approach of being preached at. I found two things that I believed would get their attention. I brought in the book 'The 50th Law' by 50 cent and a video on choices by Tony Dungy (attached Youtube).

A normally anxious bunch of teenagers took to the topic of overcoming fear and the reality of making bad choices.

Wow, The students responded in an even more powerful way than I expected. For the next fifteen minutes we were captivated and questioning how we all may make better choices in our lives.

We need our young men to become old men and be known and valued citizens, fathers, educators and visionaries for a better world.

Charles