The thoughts of a King


Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Day. A day we honor a man and his work to instill human dignity. From what I understood, Dr. King was a Brother in his Prince Hall Lodge. After some research, I found that it was not the case. There was discussion that Grand Master Benjamin Barksdale, of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia, had made Dr. King a Master Mason posthumously.  Again, this was not to be the case. The discussion came up in an article in The Phylaxis, a magazine from the Phylaxis Society, where MW  Barksdale confirmed that it did not happen.  However, a scholarship was created in his honor so students could attend Morehouse College.

Dr. King and his family had close ties to Prince Hall Masonry.  His grandfather and Dad were both Masons, and the headquarters for King’s civil rights organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was located inside the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia on Auburn Avenue.

Normally, when people write about Dr. King, they quote him from his “I Have a Dream” speech.  This time I want to share his thoughts from the acceptance of his Nobel Peace Prize.

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.” — Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize 1964 acceptance speech

Isn't this what we all should strive for? Shouldn’t this be the end goal of humanity? When I read these words, I see a number of things.  I see “love your neighbor as yourself”. I see “as you have done it to the least”. I also see Masonry.

I know as a middle-aged Caucasian male. Again, as I have said before, we all have pigment. The only “white” person I ever saw was on a cart and didn’t have much to say.  Maybe my voice is not the one that should be heard today. Over the years, I have heard that “Masons do not see color”.  Be careful where you step, you might get some of that on your shoe and drag it into the house. You bet I see color. Not to deny a Brother’s struggle. It is to deny a part of who they are.

Yesterday I wrote about being humane and honorable to people. While Dr. King died before I was born, his work was…I mean IS very important. I do not believe that the civil rights movement was about our Black Americans only. Please hear me out. While yes, it is about living up to the Ideas that we say in Lodge during every opening. When we pledge to the flag and utter the words “Liberty, and Justice, for ALL”.

I believe Dr. Kings work, and it continues, needs to be right in our faces. No matter the color of our skin. That was not really his point. His point was that we as a Nation need to live up to our creed and not just give it lip service. No matter the color of your skin. It was the condition of your heart.

Maybe we need to hear that just as loud today as we did in the 60s? I sure think we do.

Was Dr. King a Mason? Maybe not on paper….but we all know where it starts. He had that for sure.

I want to leave today's thought with one more quote. I’ll place it right here.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

 

I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly


 

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