The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Much has been written about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy in the Civil Rights Movement. But one aspect of that legacy that has been largely ignored is his philosophy based on the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage, much of which inspired his work.

The March on Washington and King’s “I Have A Dream “ speech has rightfully drawn much attention, which most Americans are aware of. However, in the spring of 1963, Dr. King led massive, peaceful demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama against the city’s white racist practices, only to be confronted by unyielding segregationists. Dr. King was criticized by white religious leaders for a being an outsider and a troublemaker. For defying the local laws, he was jailed and while there, composed the “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” justifying his reasons for demanding justice and for practicing civil disobedience. He based his arguments on traditional values of western civilization.

In this letter he stated that he was in Birmingham because injustice prevailed, emphasizing the interrelatedness of all communities, and pointing out that just as the “prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages” and “just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ” to the ancient world, he was compelled to carry the “gospel of freedom.” He stressed the need for constructive non-violence and for understanding its underlying causes. He referred to Socrates who practiced creative tension in the mind so that people would rise above prejudice and achieve true brotherhood. Dr. King said blacks have waited 340 years for their constitutional and God-given rights” For years he was told to wait. But wait always meant never. Citing philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr, he stated privileged groups seldom relinquish power voluntarily.

Further, Dr. King responded to the Birmingham religious leaders who claimed he was breaking the law with sit-ins and other demonstrations. He urged them and others to obey the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision outlawing segregation in public schools. He insisted a just law must be obeyed because it is in harmony with the law of God. He agreed with St. Augustine that an “unjust law is no law at all.” He cited St. Thomas Aquinas who believed an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Thus, all segregation laws are unjust.

Dr. King pointed out that civil disobedience was nothing new, having been practiced by the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the immoral laws of Nebuchadnezzar. Similarly, the early Christians faced hungry lions and other persecutions for not obeying the Roman Empire’s unjust laws. In modern times, what Hitler did in Nazi Germany was legal, while Communist countries also suppressed the Christian faith.

Dr. King warned that if white moderates did not fight to achieve civil rights for blacks, then various black-nationalist groups, such as Elijah Muhammad’s Muslim movement, would fill the void. He predicted continued racial discrimination will produce more violent extremists who lose faith in Christianity and America.

“Letter From Birmingham City Jail” summed up the true meaning in the universal search for freedom and equality as it applied to African Americans, as well as to all people of good will. It espoused principles that rested on traditional democratic values of western civilization. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood the relevance of the past and applied it to injustices that were challenging to the fulfillment of the American Dream.

A Clean Start

by Victoria Landis

I love writing for the January issue. It’s a new year. An arbitrary date that really means nothing, yet it symbolizes a fresh beginning. The chance for everything to be washed clean, metaphorically speaking. We’ve been doing silly things in honor of the new year, ever since we invented calendars. Why should 2017 be any different? In honor of our being washed clean, starting anew, etc., let’s see how many of our planetary roommates celebrate.

First up – Throwing stuff away. In theory, I can see how getting rid of the old to make room for the new became a tradition. Somehow, the Italians embraced the idea a little too fervently, though, and began tossing old furniture out the window. One would imagine copious amounts of wine had something to do with it. Think about it. Okay, Maria and Antonio decide new chairs are in order. They want to get rid of the old nasty ones with 200 years’ worth of wear, sweat, wine, and god-knows-what-that-is stains from untold numbers of folks. Yeah, that would gross me out, too. Most people would simply carry them out the door. For some reason, on that particular New Year’s Eve, Maria and Antonio thought, Hey, let’s toss them from an upstairs window instead. With any luck, we’ll accidentally hit that annoying Fabrizio who’s been soused and camped out on the sidewalk for two days. Maybe they eliminated poor old Fabrizio, then all the neighbors agree it was a brilliant accident? And it caught on. That’s the best I can come up with. Honestly.

Not to be outdone, the South Africans apparently loved the Italian thing, so they go one better and earn bonus execution points for throwing old appliances out the windows. Do not get drunk and loiter under windows in Johannesburg, people.

Continuing with the destruction of property (and possibly people), the good citizens of Denmark have a strange belief that throwing old dishes at their friends’ front doors will bring luck. To whom, I’m not sure. But offhand, if I woke up on New Year’s Day with shattered china littering my stoop and cut marks in my door’s paint job, I’d be ticked off, but good.

Thailand has a bizarre way of cleansing for the new year. They throw buckets of water on anyone, anywhere. Water pistols the size of machine guns and hoses are also employed. No one is safe. Cars driving by with open windows? Target. Old ladies ambling by on the sidewalk? Target. You’re getting doused whether you like it or not. But the next part is the real puzzle. Step two is flinging talc at you until you look like you crawled through a white mud bog. How did this start?

In many countries, celebrants visit graveyards. Honoring ancestors. This, I understand. But some carry it too far and actually spend the night sleeping on the graves. I suppose if you’ve never seen a horror flick, you wouldn’t be creeped out by this, but for the rest of us? That would be a big, resounding hell no. One weird moan from a distant animal in the night, and I’d scramble over anything or anyone in my path. I’m pretty sure my ancestors wouldn’t approve of my accidentally crunching someone’s hand, foot, or head as I escaped.

Now we come to wardrobe choices. Especially in the unmentionables department. Yellow undies are all the rage in Venezuela to bring luck. Red underpants are supposed to bring romantic love in the new year. Green undies will lead to financial fortune. This might explain quite a bit in my life. I’m not sure I’ve ever owned private garments in any of those colors. So that’s what I’ve been doing wrong. Well, I’m correcting that immediately and will report back to you with my scientific results.

 

Rats. As usual, I’ve run out of space, just when I was getting warmed up. Happy New Year!

Paging Dr. Bob: Prescription for Music, Coffee, and Cookies

A different type of ‘doctor’ strolled down the hall of a nursing home, ready to make the residents feel better. Robert Blake is not the type of doctor who’ll prescribe medication for a sore throat or headache. Still, people have known Blake as “Dr. Bob” and “the music doctor” ever since the Margate resident entered a nursing home in his native Massachusetts about 25 years ago. That’s because one of the residents told Blake his musical entertainment had a healing effect on him that was profound.

“He said I make him feel better than the doctors do,” said Blake, who is in his early 70s. The title of “Dr.” has followed Blake south into a room within the Margate Public Library, 5810 Park Drive.

That’s where “Dr. Bob’s Musicians’ Coffeehouse” takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. usually on the last Saturday of the month.

Anyone who can sing or play an instrument is welcome to showcase their talent in an open mic, casual setting. Each session features a different style of music, from variety to folk, to country music, and Blues. Anyone is welcome to attend the program. If you’re not comfortable performing, nobody will force you. Blake said people representing a variety of ages perform and attendance varies.

“Everybody seems to like it,” said Blake, who is also a guitar teacher and song writer, with many originals to his credit. You can hear his songs on CDBaby.com.

bob-1-with-jazzmaster

Blake has been playing guitar since 1956 and began public performances in 1959, playing in two local bands in Massachusetts. Throughout his career, he’s taught songwriting, vocal phrasing, bass guitar, and omnichord. He’s also written multiple books, played the banjo, ukulele, and by his estimate has composed more than 600 songs.

Music runs in the Blake family. Blake’s father played the piano and organ, while his brother plays the harmonica and concertina, a free-reed musical instrument similar to the accordion and harmonica.

Bob Naylor, of Oakland Park, has been playing music for about 60 years and been coming to “Dr. Bob’s Musicians’ Coffeehouse” for two years. Naylor plays the guitar, piano, and has composed about 100 songs, he said.

“I have to be inspired,” he said. One of Naylor’s inspirations was a stewardess on a train from Ft.

Lauderdale to Jacksonville. Naylor said he has a “vivid imagination” and the “congenial, friendly” woman inspired him to write a song about her.

Blake’s inspirations sometimes stem from his curiosity. He once saw a landscape truck bearing the words “property sculptor” and wondered what such a person does. He looked it up and wrote a song about the vocation. You can hear the song at https://play.spotify.com/track/5TA6nWVg8rUcElKqGJ4tKY?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open.

At Blake’s monthly coffeehouse/open mic, you’ll find musical veterans as well as novices such as Karen Byron, who lives in Parkland. Byron plays the ukulele. She said she enjoys attending the showcases. “I think it’s awesome because it’s fun,” she said.

When attendees aren’t up on stage performing, they are tapping their toes or singing along.

 

2017 schedule

Shows are from 2 to 4pm, except Oct. 28

Jan. 21       Variety music show

Feb. 18       Country music show

March 11    Variety music show

April 22     50’s and 60’s music show

May 20       Variety music show

June 17       Blues music show

July 22       Variety music show.

Aug. 19       70’s-90’s music show

Sept. 23       Variety music show

Oct. 14       20’s to 40’s music show

Oct. 28       Special original music show, noon to 5 p.m.

Nov. 13       Variety music show.

Dec. 16       Holiday/winter music show

 

2016-jam

If Wishes Were Horses…One Woman’s Dream of Riding

Twenty-seven years old is late for someone to become a jockey. But Patra Jean didn’t think it was too old to live her dream, which she did. Despite the late start, she finished her apprenticeship quickly and was in full gear. “You could say I was self-accomplished,” she said.

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For a couple of years beginning in 2000, the 5’1” 100 pound jockey donned her silks to compete in more than 500 races, and bring home 54 winners.

 

Most of Patra’s racing was at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, but she also rode at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Hialeah Park in Hialeah, and in a track event in Jamaica. She rode for different owners and trainers, sometimes getting as many as five mounts a day.

Big-time horse racing has its dangers, and Patra knew them well. She was trampled in a race when her horse’s hoof clipped the heels of the horse in front of her. She went down, and was run over by the horse that was racing behind her. Patra was rushed to the hospital where she learned, fortunately, that she had no serious injuries beyond a collection of bruises. Patra learned something from her experience that day: “If I got hurt, it wouldn’t keep from racing,” she said.

As a child in Hialeah, Patra’s first experience with horses was in preschool when a babysitter’s husband took her for pony rides at Hialeah Park. She was hooked immediately and knew horses would be part of her life, not just riding them but caring for them.

Today, Patra and her husband, Rich Fitzgerald, own and operate Millpond Stables on Vinkemulder Road in Coconut Creek. They have five horses of their own, and board a number of others. She also provides riding lessons on a regular basis.

There are several long days in a business that requires never-ending work. Some days find her mucking out stalls, filling them with hay, tending to the horses’ water, feed, and making sure they get medical care when needed. Her horses need attention all day, every day, early mornings, and late nights.

“It’s not a job,” Petra said, “You have to love it. The horses don’t have a voice. They can’t speak for themselves. You have to have an eye to know when they’re hurting, or need care. That’s why I’m here. That’s what it means to have horses in your blood.”