January 16, 2012 - Meet Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

According to celebrated photojournalist Bill Jones, "Dr. King used to say all the time he would never make 40, and he was killed at 39. We thought he was being melodramatic, but he had an understanding of racism that was a lot deeper than we thought."

Trumpet Awards Foundation founder Xernona Clayton worked closely with King at the SCLC and traveled extensively with his family. In an exclusive interview with the Watts Times, she talked about who King was as a person, also noting how funny he was.

She said, "[the children] liked when he was home. They had gotten accustomed to his big way and when he'd come home they would just flock and holler as if Santa Claus had come. He'd play a game with them. They would climb upon the refrigerator and jump down into his arms. ... He would stand on the floor and hold his arms out (to) catch them."

via LA Beez

Had coffee this am with a man that went to one of his speeches. He was there with a group of about 10 people - all white. He told me it was a very moving experience and that Dr. King even made mention of them and was happy to have them there.
He said King included something in his speech to the effect about "not wanting to be their brothers in law, that he wanted to be their brothers." (not a direct quote)
I thought that was pretty cool for a chance meeting with a random person.

Stephen Colbert's mother was apparently at the "I Have a Dream" speech, in person, while she was pregnant with him. Not as a gag, for real.

MLK and Gone With The Wind

The National Civil Rights Museum is at the Lorraine Motel.

From our visit to The King Center in Atlanta last year.

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