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Comments

• [1] george from white plains, ny April 04, 2008 - 12:06PM

  I was a senior at white plains high in April, '68. I ran track and to my teamates I was not white, I was a 'gray boy' and the blacks were 'splibs'. I went to their parties, they ate and slept at my house. To us, at that time, skin color was about as significant as shirt color. The day after MLK was shot the NAACP and CORE activists came up from Mt. Vernon. After that the racial lines were drawn and only an "Uncle Tom" would talk to me. In three days I lost half of my friends and finally learned what racism FELT like.

  
  
• [2] michael fleischer from new jersey April 04, 2008 - 03:34PM

  I realize the "Mountaintop" speech is considered special but consider this: The biblical imagery. In the old testament the Jews crossed over into the promised land and then what did they do? They engaged in a campaign of murder and genocide and essentially ethnic cleanseing that continues to this day. All justified by god and the alleged covenent and promise. While I understand that Dr. King was using this as a device to inspire and connect with people who were not necessarily educated but knew of the bible, I think it overall is a wicked and stupid choice. Again b/c it implies that when black people reached the promised land they would fulfill their "destiny" which if we take the old testament as a guide involves bloody racial and ethnic warfare. Clearly not a message of peace that Dr. King and Ghandi hoped to convey.

  Thank you