Million Man March:16 Years Later

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By: Michael H.Cottman

“I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.” --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, on the 16th anniversary of the historic Million Man March, thousands of African Americans will stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the banks of the Potomac River to commemorate the official dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, which features a towering 30-foot sculpture of the civil rights icon.

The memorial, which opened to the public Aug. 22, is located between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. It is not far from the Washington Monument and the memorial to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The King memorial has been 26 years in the making and King is the first person of color and the first person who was not a U.S. president to be memorialized on the National Mall.

The White House announced that President Barack Obama will speak during the King dedication ceremony, a fitting opportunity for America’s first black president to honor King’s legacy while also underscoring the significance of the Million Man March -- the largest gathering of African American men in U.S. history that challenged black men to renew their faith, uplift their communities, become more involved in the lives of their families and honor black women. CONTINUE....

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Family Squabbles Sully Legacy Of Civil Rights Icons

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By Javier E. David

What is it about money that brings out the worst in human nature? Since time immemorial, people attempting to amass or control wealth -- primarily for the wrong reasons -- feel compelled to commit the unethical or outright fraudulent. Nowhere is that unsavory tendency more visible than when it involves family members. The impulse to have material wealth can be a powerful lure that invariably sets brother against brother (or for that matter sister, grandmother mother, aunt, cousin, etc.). Long-simmering blood feuds spill out into the open, all in the name of money.

Which is why watching the heirs of civil rights figures Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. can make for both compelling drama and cringe-inducing spectacle. Both iconic families have seen their familial divisions laid bare in the court of public opinion, with money being at the heart of much of their divisions. Among other things, Malcolm X's heirs have been embroiled in a battle over the management of their father's estate, which at an estimated $1.4 million, is a relatively modest sum. Meanwhile, the King offspring spent more than a year in court before finally reaching an agreement on how to divide the spoils of their father's archives and personal papers, reportedly worth more than $30 million. CONTINUE....

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By Terence Moore - FanHouse

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is a time of reflection for me. Not only have I been a lifelong admirer of the Drum Major for Justice, I was a deacon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where I got to know many of his relatives, friends and associates. That's why I'm thinking about the essence of this day, which is to remind folks to engage in public service.

That includes famous entertainers and professional athletes -- you know, whether they like it or not. CONTINUE STORY....

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Had the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. survived the struggles of the civil rights movement and gone on to lead a long, healthy life, he would be waking up this weekend to his 82nd birthday. Instead, we have a national holiday in his name, and we celebrate his memory.

Keeping that memory alive will always be important to me. It is important to me just as it ought to be to any other African-American -- to any other American, period, really. But it is especially important to me because it takes me back to so many things I learned at the dinner table as a child. CONTINUE....

Tears Flow, Tens of Thousands Cheer as Barack Obama Officially Becomes First Black Nominee

By: Michael H. Cottman

DENVER - On the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, Barack Obama stood before nearly 85,000 cheering supporters, accepted the Democratic nomination for president of the United States and stepped into history as the first African-American to lead a major political party on a quest for the White House.

His words, his vision for the nation and his profound passion for change, brought tears to some in the multi-cultural throng of Democrats who are solidly behind Obama on his unprecedented journey.

“Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes, and more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay and tuition that is beyond your reach," Obama said. “These challenges are not all of government’s making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed presidency of George W. Bush. America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.”

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