Soon after Martin Luther King's birthday became a federal holiday in 1986, I began prodding mainstream media to cover the dramatic story of King's last year as he campaigned militantly against U.S. foreign and economic policy. Most of his last speeches were recorded. But year after year, corporate networks have refused to air the tapes.
Last night NBC Nightly anchor Brian Williams enthused over new color footage of King that adorned its coverage of the 40th anniversary of the assassination. The report focused on the last phase of King's life. But the same old blinders were in place.
NBC showed young working class whites in Chicago taunting King. But there was no mention of how elite media had taunted King in his last year. In 1967 and '68, mainstream media saw Rev. King a bit like they now see Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Back then they denounced King's critical comments; today they simply silence them.
While noting in passing that King spoke out against the Vietnam War, mainstream reports today rarely acknowledge that he went way beyond Vietnam to decry U.S. militarism in general: "I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos," said King in 1967 speeches on foreign policy, "without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government."
In response to these speeches, Newsweek said King was "over his head" and wanted a "race-conscious minority" to dictate U.S. foreign policy. Life magazine described the Nobel Peace Prize winner as a communist pawn who advocated "abject surrender in Vietnam." The Washington Post couldn't have been more patronizing: "King has diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country, and to his people."
When King's moral voice moved beyond racial discrimination to international issues, the New York Times attacked his efforts to link the civil rights and antiwar movements.
King's sermons on Vietnam could get as angry as those of Barack Obama's ex-pastor: "God didn't call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war . . .We've committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world."
In 1967, King was also criticizing the economic underpinnings of U.S. foreign policy, railing against "capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries." Today, capitalists of the West reap huge profits from their domination of global media.
Thankfully, we now have the Internet and independent media outlets where King's later speeches are available for the ages.
If King had survived to hear the war drums beating for the invasion and occupation of Iraq -- amplified by TV networks and the New York Times front page and Washington Post editorial page -- there's little doubt where he'd stand. Or how loudly he'd be speaking out.
And there's little doubt how big U.S. media would have reacted. On Fox News and talk radio, King would have been Dixie Chicked...or Rev. Wrighted. In corporate centrist outlets, he'd have been marginalized faster than you can say Noam Chomsky.
One suspects King would be marveling at the rise of Barack Obama and the multiracial movement behind him. But would he be happy with Obama and other Democratic leaders who heap boundless billions onto the biggest military budget in world history?
In 1967, King denounced a Democratic-controlled Congress for fattening the Pentagon budget while cutting anti-poverty programs, declaring: "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
Jeff Cohen is an associate professor of journalism at Ithaca College, and founding director of the Park Center for Independent Media. He founded the media watch group FAIR in 1986.
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What I would ask the media AND many of the righteous indignatio
Imagine a hillbilly (I use this perjorativ
"Too loud. Too strange. Too dramatic. Too angry, violent. Words I don't understand
This has every thing to do with dislike, deep, disturbing
Attend a Southern Baptist Church. Caucasian or American-A
A man spits on the floor before the Duke.
The Duke's guards are outraged, but the Duke motions them back.
In a land sorely lacking in water, he realizes this is a sign of profound respect, and returns the compliment
Patriotism
Dr.King and Rev.Wright were not, after all, preaching for violence and terrorism. Quite the opposite -- both risked their lives and devoted their lives to fighting so that our sons and daughters might inherit a better America.
Spit on the floor is sometimes merely an invitation to dialog.
Rev.Wright
And, it pains me to admit that on some level, Fox News has merely returned the favor.
When viewed as a bizzarre ritual of mutual respect, there is a real opportunit
Otherwise, just more spit on the floor.
I have commented on this above. I know that Dr. King was no stranger
to criticism of his government
state terror of Palestinia
the US.
For info about Jewish Voice for Peace (an organizati
20,000 Jews, Muslims, Christians
www.jvp.or
For one of many articles re: Wright and Obama read Alexander
Cockburn in "The Nation", April 14.
For in depth history and analysis read:
l. "The Fateful Triangle" by Noam Chomsky
2."Perilou
Former member, SCLC (a follower not a leader)
Member: Jewish Voice for Peace
I was disappoint
I see nothing wrong with Obama campaignin
Rev. Wright spoke the truth, very much like Dr. King and should be applauded for having the courage to speak out against what most decent thinking people in America is saying.
You need to educate yourself regarding your country's foreign policy. You can start by viewing:
www:antipa
Rev/Dr. Wright served in the Marines and the Navy, did you?
Lay off the man.
Anyways, here is the whole speech. As you can see, Wright is critcizing America because of our despicable foreign policy and he does so by saying "god damn america". Of course, it's not meant in a general way. What if a German pastor says God Damn Germany for WWII, nazis, hitler etc but you only heard God Damn Germany?
http://you
MLK, Jr. - two weeks before he died
He courageous
I am glad that no one here is focusing on the content of whats being said. That is a waste of time and dangerous. It leads to judgment of the persons' ideas and hurt feelings. This blog is great that we stay focused on whats important, feelings. How does this all make us feel? Feel good?
I want to be like the white people on this blog who aren't evil/guilt
You completely extrapolat
If you say that a country that discrimina
But as Obama said, Rev. Wright problem was that he preached from a place where no progress was made at all. As though the USA was still run by bigots and segregatio
You can decry Rev. Wright for that, if you would like.
Perhaps when all this is over he might come out of retirement to make nice and do a buck dance (with a big smile on his face) for Geraldine Ferraro and the rest of the bigots on Fox News.
Most Americans know "I have a Dream" and nothign else. King's speech against the Vietnam War "Time To Break The Silence" makes Jeremiah Wright look like a pacifist. King calls the U.S. "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. "
So now they can praise King and adore his message.
Much as many do with Jesus Christ.
Are you so afraid of it and can't face it, that your country is a purveyor of misery, torture and death
around the world in the name of Imperialis
Also, I believe it was ABC that first showed the videos of Reverand Wright on the news. It had nothing to do with Hillary Clinton or her campaign.
The Clintons have spent much of their adult lives working with and for African American people.
The Clintons have also spend much of this campaign season un-doing everything they have been perceived to have done for the African American community. Today, I listened to Senator Clinton praise Dr. King for his tremendous contributi
Watch "Bowling for Columbine" and learn something. If you only knew of all of the blood which is upon lhe hands of this country, at the hands of White folks. This country was founded upon violence.
This country props-up dictators and takes them down. This country plays imperial chess upon this earth like life for those whom do not live wthin this country is a freak'in game. Give me a break!
You are foolish beyond compare -- all of you who do not know better to know that this country is Damned!!!!
A few weeks ago, my son wanted to know what I thought about Rev. Wright's comments because he felt they were accurate. I told him that I was deeply moved by Dr. Wright 's oratory, reminding us of what Dr. King said some 45 years ago.( I am sorry that Obama decried his associatio
These many years later as I watched Rev. Wright on You Tube, I do not find anything out of line with what Dr. King would have said himself. Dr. King was not afraid to throw a rhetorical punch to get his message across. Would Moses get angry? Sure he would. How do you get your people to the Promised Land -- by being sheep?
Whereas I have no real aversion to Wright's sentiments