Obama Paid Homage to MLK

As much as I love Dr. Cornel West, it is with profound disappointment that I am making this post. I had heard about Dr. West's and Dr. Malveaux's reaction to Barack Obama's acceptance speech from those who watched the DNC coverage on PBS.  But, there is nothing like reading about it (on The Root) and seeing it for yourself.

I've discussed Barack Obama's speech with many and being "heart broken" and Barack "stumbled" and "ran from history" were sentiments that were not conveyed to me.

I will give Dr. West and Dr. Malveaux a "crabs in a bucket" pass this time for being put on the spot immediately after the speech. They now join Tavis, who already had earned one for himself for the SOTBU/Obama fiasco.

I believe you can pay homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 45^th anniversary of the 'I Have A Dream' speech without explicitly stating his name or using a reference to 'having a Dream' in your speech.

Here's what Obama said:

And it is that promise that 45 years ago today brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead — people of every creed and color, from every walk of life — is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."


Upon further inspection you'll find another theme in Barack's speech that was also in Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech.

from I Have A Dream:

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

Here's what Obama said:

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
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Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy.
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Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.
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Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses, and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.


I believe the "45 years ago today....a young preacher from Georgia" was the novel reference to MLK/I Have A Dream, but the "Now is the time" theme was Barack's own astute way of paying homage.

If you saw any other tribute to MLK/I Have A Dream in Barack Obama's acceptance speech, please comment here.