About Coretta Scott King

[Kneehimiah]

I live in Decatur, GA right outside Atlanta, so on yesterday my kids had the day off from school in respect of the funeral of Coretta Scott King. Why write about her? I think that her primary contribution was to establishing the King Center, which is now under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. A little less tenacity and the name of Dr. King would sit a little lower in the national spotlight. She set an example that many in the jazz community could and should take note of. A lack of musuems and other locations commemerating various jazz musicians and their achievements could be due to a person missing like Mrs. King at the right place in the process. At the appropriate time she stepped up and took charge. This was immediate. As a result, the King Center is a "must see" destination for out-of-towners coming to Atlanta, and remains a living legacy to her husband's work. I could name several jazz icons, dead or living, and their birthplaces are probably not readily known. At least not off the top of one's head. This goes for most of the presidents as well. In small villages throughout South America that I toured in several years ago many people knew that Dr. King was from the city that I was from. This is her greatest achievement (besides raising 4 kids during and after her husband's life), and funny thing. It made me look differently at the movie Bird, directed by Clint Eastwood. That picture bent more than a few people out of shape. A movie that focused on his relationships with people as much or more than his music is very valid, however. If someone else wants to do a Bird movie that focuses on how abolutely wicked his music was (and is still) then they are welcome to do so. Sooner or later, hopefully we realize that it's a person like us who's doing it (I know that this may be sacrilege to some). One thing's for sure. Many estates of musicians and other artists, like actors, aren't nearly as strong as that of Dr. King's, which actively fights any representation of him that it sees askk harmful. The next jazz movie could be a total fabrication of a jazz giant. The stories of lots have been passed around (truthfully or not) for decades. Many were covered in the informative PBS jazz documentary by Ken Burns. The people who are in the know are dying off, and without more Coretta Scott Kings the future stories of the jazz giants could be more littered with licks, riffs, beat-downs, cuss-outs, and less about people.

Kneehimiah
www.ramonpooser.com

PS- There were 40 or so speakers at the funeral. All were treated very respectfully, with 4 presidents in attendance.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

PS- There were 40 or so speakers at the funeral. All were treated very respectfully, with 4 presidents in attendance.[/quote]




Maybe you don't include the current president in your list of speakers. I don't think he was treated with respect by the leader of the SCLC.
Funerals should be celebrations of the lives of the deceased and Coretta King certainly was a great woman who had a profound impact on America. She and Dr. King will always be well thought of by all but the most bigoted. It would have been good to leave the political bashing outside the doors and concentrate on celebrating a great woman and champion for civil rights.

[Sam Sherry]

Originally Posted by clink

It would have been good to leave the political bashing outside the doors and concentrate on celebrating a great woman and champion for civil rights.

I respect your opinion but we could not disagree more.

I don't think that President Bush was treated unfairly or rudely. People simply took the opportunity -- always rare -- to speak their minds directly to him. Part of the problem here is that the current administration has done a good job at identifying disagreement with disrespect.

The very essence of what Kings stood for is the idea that the struggle for human rights was and is a political struggle. They fought vigorously (but non-violently) against the idea that the struggle for human rights should take a path outside the realm of civil discourse. Many disagreed with them, advocating revolution, terrorism and separation.

With that in mind, it mocks the Kings' legacy to pass up any opportunity to speak truth to power.

[Kneehimiah]

Originally Posted by Sam Sherry

I respect your opinion but we could not disagree more.

I don't think that President Bush was treated unfairly or rudely. People simply took the opportunity -- always rare -- to speak their minds directly to him. Part of the problem here is that the current administration has done a good job at identifying disagreement with disrespect.

The very essence of what Kings stood for is the idea that the struggle for human rights was and is a political struggle. They fought vigorously (but non-violently) against the idea that the struggle for human rights should take a path outside the realm of civil discourse. Many disagreed with them, advocating revolution, terrorism and separation.

With that in mind, it mocks the Kings' legacy to pass up any opportunity to speak truth to power.

I agree with you, Sam. I think that the speakers used the opportunity to draw analogies between this time and the prominent time of the 50's and 60's in the civil rights movement. In claiming respectfulness I was refering to the reception that each person received upon taking the podium.
If not warm, then at least respectful. The president's job is the hardest in the world.

Kneehimiah
www.ramonpooser.com