Day 1: Honoring the Love of Dr. King

The message below went out on Monday, January 16, 2012 to those Standing on the Side of Love supporters who signed up for daily Thirty Days of Love emails. You can sign-up for the 30 Days of Love emails here.

Whether you are working or at home today; whether you are participating in witness or in service, may this be a moment for meaningful reflection on the power of one to inspire many, and on the very notions of progress, justice, and love.

As we begin our Thirty Days immersed in the teachings and legacy of Dr. King, here are two actions you can take to honor the spirit of love that Dr. King espoused:

1. Share a favorite Dr. King. quote on our Facebook page and on your wall.  Half the reward of this endeavor is reading through the virtual treasure chest of thoughts that Dr. King offers the world.  After all, he is considered one of the greatest orators in U.S. history.  Here are a couple of links to guide you:

   http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

   http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.

2. Watch Dr. King’s most famous speech with the young people in your life and discuss what it means to you.  Ask what they glean from his messages.

   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs

In addition:

• Check out this op-ed, “Reflections on Martin Luther King Day” from Kevin Alexander Gray, a writer for Progressive Media Project: 

  http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/01/13/2348640/reflections-on-martin-luther-king.html

• This video of Nina Simone has been making the rounds, and it’s powerful:

  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQp5_2hv8A0

• If you’re not familiar with Nina Simone’s musical stylings, many of which encompass strong civil rights themes, you are missing out on one of the most powerful singers to ever live.  Here is a link to a place where you can start to explore her discography: http://grooveshark.com/#!/nina_simone/albums. Don’t skip over “Mississippi Goddamn.”
• This post from the NAACP is a good reflection on Rekindling the Fire of the Civil Rights Movement: http://www.naacp.org/blog/entry/rekindling-the-fire
• The UUA offers a wonderful resource for congregations: “Keep Talking, Start Doing: ten Ways to Deepen Your Congregation’s Multiculturalism Journey”. Click here to explore it: http://www.uua.org/multiculturalism/introduction/185106.shtml
• Beacon Press offers a number of literary resources related to Dr. King worth checking out: http://www.beacon.org/contributorinfo.cfm?ContribID=1818
• And here is a You Tube trailer of Beacon’s new book, “Thou Dear God” The Prayers of Martin Luther King Jr.:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LfVNi3nRw0

Tags: 30 Days of Love, Beacon Press, NAACP, Nina Simone, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., Thou Dear God, UUA