Striving to Attain the Dream

by Karen Hatter | August 28, 2008 at 06:25 am

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HISTORY IS MADE - Barack Obama, the Democratic Nominee

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I was a few weeks shy of my 10th birthday the day Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before an estimated crowd of 200,000 assembled in Washington, D.C. in 1963. I watched Dr. King on television with my family.

He began his speech by saying:

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

In his speech, Dr. King attempted to express the feelings of frustration and the fatigue of those who, at that time, had endured the virtually unendurable to live to see another day, who hoped and dreamed for a better day.

He reminded America it was his belief that she had not fulfilled her promise to all of her citizens, saying:

.... When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

A year later, I was little more than a month away from my 11th birthday when the legendary and courageous civil rights crusader Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), kicked out of her home, she and her husband dismissed from their jobs, Mrs. Hamer, jailed and beaten by law enforcement officials in her home state of Mississippi for organizing her friends and neighbors to vote, traveled to Atlantic City, New Jersey, seeking to be fully represented in the election process.

The testimony of Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, the daughter of Mississippi sharecroppers and granddaughter of enslaved grandparents, delivered before the Democratic Credentials Committee at the Democratic convention in 1964, was featured on the evening news on television, drawing attention to the denial of voting rights to many of its citizens in the United States.

Over the years, much has changed since Dr. King's speech and Mrs. Hamer's Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's political action, through the efforts of many people of all races, working to include those formerly considered the least and lowest among all others living within this nation.

Tonight, on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, at Invesco Field in Mile High Stadium, a native son who makes Chicago, Illinois his home, representing the heritage of Africa and America, is set to take the stage, delivering his acceptance speech as the Democratic Party's nominee, the first African American to be nominated, by any major political party, for the office of President of the United States of America.

It would have been nice if Dr. King and Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer could have shared their thoughts on this most notable occasion, 44 years ago this month since Mrs. Hamer's appeal to the Democratic Party's credentials committee, as well as it being 40 years since the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was seated in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois and on this specific date, August 28, the 45th anniversary of his I Have a Dream speech.

Click here for some thoughts offered by the children of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther and Mrs. Coretta Scott King Jr., the remaining caretakers of their father's dream for this country, on the anniversary of his speech.

To learn more about Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer, visit the web site of the Hamer Cultural Center.

A companion piece at NowPublic, Thoughts from a Daughter of the Struggle

Text of Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Denver, Colorado

Of interest:

From Fannie Lou Hamer to Barack Obama

8 See all footage | View Slideshow

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Emilio Lizardo

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:50 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Heritage

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:05 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Uwe Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:15 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Jordan Yerman

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:30 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. Alas, we live in a world where people like Dr. King get murdered for daring to believe in equality. To what extent that world has evolved since you were 10, I'm not sure. To have an African American leading the DNC this week is a huge breakthrough, but it's also showing how uneasy so many are with his ascendance. On the outside, things look so much better, but it's still easy to see camouflaged fences and invisible walls all over the place.

Jarrett Martineau

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:42 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Milieunet

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:00 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

May be Barack Obama can realise that dream

http://members.nowpublic.com/world/why-barack-obama-should-be-next-president-usa

politisite

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 08:11 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. This is a proud time in History. Thank you for mentioning all of the folks from other races who got involved to help as they too took a great deal reidicule for supporting the Black movement. They knew it was the right thing to do, but they did more then think about equal rights and protection, they marched along side. Mitt Romneys father was one of those folks who while did not March with MLK as referranced in history books. Did set the stage for equal rights and protection of people of color in Mich.

I saw the panning of the video camera's last night. I saw tears in the eyes of many Blacks. All these folks could say is something like, "I never thought this would happen in my life time", and then they would say something additional, "I wish MLK couls see this" or "I wish my mother or father could have been here". It was moving even for this conservative. I am part of that so called Religious right who knows that many churches in the 50's and 60's did not support the movement and it is such a shame as Jesus Spirit descended on not just the Jews but all people on the day of Pentecost. It was clear that at Babalon people were scattered and languages were made to sound like babble. At Pentecost following Jesus returning to the Father, sent his spirit and it was not to one race. It was too all as each began to speack in anothers language of the greatness of God. If any Christian can't understand that Jesus brought the races together to share together no matter the color of the skin.

I thought of John Lewis one of Georgia's great congressmen who was there last night. This man was beaten to near death for the movement and last night he saw part of the Dream come true.

In Conclusion, Karen, 10 years old in 1963? I thought you were in your 20's or 30's LOL

Thanks for this story and I am glad that you could see this day as well. It is difficult for some of us who wanbt to see this day as well.. to have to fight against him in a general election. It just feels like we are in the way of history. But because I beleive in freedom and rights for the unborn as well I have to vote for another.

cassy82

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:24 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Rachel Nixon

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:36 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

phoenixesrose

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:02 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. Well written. I've set an alarm so I can get up in the middle of the night here in Germany just to hear Obama's speech live on the Net. I know it's a bit odd, but some things are just too important to not see live".

I hope to hear after the speech your thoughts and those of others.

eastvanray

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:20 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

I wonder what Dr. King would say today about how his Republican Party has changed over the years? I think he would have been comfortable as Regan Republican but not under either Bush. I think the Republicans need to create a party the MLK would be proud to be a member of today.

CJaye

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:47 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. Great story Karen, I'm trying to find info on Theresa Walker. I would love to do a story on her. I've googled her under civil rights, civils rights writer, nothing direct to her. To do a story on the handful of people that's left from 45 years ago would be awesome.

Amy Judd

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:23 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Great piece

FirstClassFashionista (not verified)

at 14:27 on August 28th, 2008

Martin Luther King was the dreamer and Barack Obama is the dream. I will attend the democratic convention tonight. The world is ready for change. We are living history!

BMCWrites

at 14:31 on August 28th, 2008

A Republican, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may have had a dream, but Barack Obama isn't it; rather, he's the nightmare that might never end.

jahbleed

at 14:41 on August 28th, 2008

thanks, he is the man! the change is NOW!

dunkelberg

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:35 on August 28th, 2008

It is encouraging we have gotten this far.

penny_lane086

at 16:13 on August 28th, 2008

penny_lane086 has contributed a photo to this story.

diana.bracy

at 17:34 on August 28th, 2008

45 years ago today, I clearly remember my family and their friends gathered around a television set either crying or beamimg with joy while listening to Dr Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream Speech". I didn't quite understand the mixed emotions but I found myself feeling an odd sense of sadness and pride. As I listened to this man speak, I realized that tears were wet on my face too. His words of peace, equality, and his vision of his dreams will be forever etched in my soul.

At the tender age of 10 years, I did not know that my soulmate of 33 years, was at the Washington Monument, among the sea of people standing there with his parents listening to the same words.

diana.bracy has contributed a photo to this story.

diana.bracy

at 17:44 on August 28th, 2008

The image that you see of Dr. King was made with thousands of pieces of fabric. The fabric is fused onto a background. This is called Fabric Photo Art. When you look at the image close up, it appears to be an abstact art piece. When you stand back from it, the image almost magically appears. During the day you can see all of the fabric colors and the image clearly. At night, when the lights are low, the colors recede and the image appears to look like a black and white photo. It is so realistic, it sometimes feel like he's actually in the room. To view more images like Dr King's please follow this link: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5433461

Thank you for reading my story. Diana Bracy

lensman20

at 18:11 on August 28th, 2008

This is the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is in Kelly Ingram Park directly across from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL>

lensman20 has contributed a photo to this story.

Rhonda J Mangus

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 18:19 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. Great comment thread too!

Resonant Earth

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at 19:51 on August 28th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. I can Identify

danesller0127

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at 00:14 on August 29th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Karen Hatter

at 08:11 on August 29th, 2008

I thank you all for taking the time to read my work, for the flags and your contributions to the thread. It is appreciated.

My Book House

at 09:58 on August 29th, 2008

Ms. K's beautiful and inspiring artwork from the Children's Department at the Main Library of Charleston County Public Library, in Charleston, SC (www.ccpl.org).

My Book House has contributed a photo to this story.

Barry Artiste

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:27 on August 29th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff. Good research, good read, great stuff Karen

phoenixesrose

at 14:07 on August 29th, 2008

Karen, I wanted to take a minute and post the Salt Lake Tribune article from today as it really was another companion piece to yours.

One day: We live in a country that may elect a black presidentEditorial by Salt Lake Tribune

The Democrats have turned off the lights in Denver.
    The Republicans will switch them on next week in the Twin Cities. So perhaps we should all pause for a moment in the interim, set aside our politics and think about what just happened in America.
    For the first time in our shared history, an AfricanAmerican is the presidential nominee of a major political party. Though we came to this milestone in the 233rd year since the Declaration of Independence was signed, many among us, black and white, are frankly surprised that it arrived so quickly.
    Others of us, black and white, count up the racially charged years since 1865 and feel discomfort, regret or stillsimmering anger that it took way too long before a black American citizen could finally stand before a cheering throng of many colors and accept nomination to the White House.
    Early or late, this longed-for, or long-dreaded moment has come down to all of us, to our place on this nation's timeline.
    And what we think about this point in time now, and how we come to think about it over time, will tell us something about ourselves as Americans, as human beings, as we journey through this century.
    We're not talking here about which candidate you should choose to vote for in November. That's entirely your own business. Most Republican voters will go for John McCain, most Democrats for Barack Obama, and ndependents will turn one way or the other. That's what we do every four years. We vote for the person and the politics we believe will do the most good for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our country.
    What we are talking about is America's long struggle with race and racism in the years since Abraham Lincoln, in his great wisdom, turned the Civil War from a nasty fight over states' rights into a blood-soaked referendum on slavery and the future of the reunited states as one nation.
    When the papers of surrender were signed at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, some 4 million black slaves, descendants of millions more who had been shipped here as human cargo from Africa, were suddenly free to go. But not to live as other Americans. Not to live equally and in peace.
    We know the history. Reconstruction, public hangings, strict segregation, Brown v. Board of Education, the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, race riots - all the hate, the blood, the courage and nobility.
    Still, we continue to strive. Sometimes we mark milestones. We still cling to a hope that finally, one day, we'll be able to see ourselves as Lincoln saw us, living as a people "guided by the better angels of our nature."

patgarcia

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:34 on August 29th, 2008

Karen Hatter, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Just Wright

at 09:59 on September 1st, 2008

I call this portriat Shadow Cast Over Mr.Martin Luther King .The reason is that the way that his message and ideas have been used today for Political Gain.

Just Wright has contributed a photo to this story.