Inspiring perspective of Martin Luther Kings work by Drew
Dellinger, who in his writings shares ecological and cosmological
dimensions of King’s vision that have been largely overlooked.
http://drewdellinger.org/pages/video/751/drew-dellinger-on-mlk-jr.s-ecological-and-cosmological-worldview
Tikkun Magazine,
Winter
2011
Five Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil
Rights Movement
by Drew Dellinger
1. If you want to change the world, change the worldview.
To get to the root of our current ecological and social crises, we
have to look at the structures of consciousness -- the stories, myths,
narratives, and paradigms -- that shape the modern world and inhabit our
minds. Racism, patriarchy, oppression and ecological destruction can be
seen as dysfunctional "stories" made tragically real. To heal
the culture, we need to heal our cosmology, our worldview or
cultural story. As my teacher, Thomas Berry, often said (drawing
on Jung), "The dream drives the action." The dream of a
society drives and guides its actions. Tapping into the
electric currents of our national psyche, Dr. King and the Civil Rights
Movement transformed the country by dreaming and embodying a new cultural
narrative.
2. To build a movement, use the power of dream, story, and
action.
As Dr. King showed the world on August 28, 1963, few things are as
powerful as a compelling dream. When we dream, we access creativity and
wisdom larger than ourselves. Our dream-visions of the future act as
magnetic attractors. King and the movement also used the power of story
to dramatic effect. King's oratory worked toward dismantling the
narratives of white supremacy, wove the freedom struggle into the
nation's sacred history, and used the multidimensional role of the
preacher to re-story our society. While dream and story are foundational,
the genius of the movement was its emphasis on action. As King said,
"Nonviolent direct action will continue to be a significant source
of power until it is made irrelevant by the presence of
justice."
3. Everyone can be a leader.
The civil rights revolution is the story of ordinary people doing
extraordinary things. Students and sharecroppers, seamstresses and senior
citizens, preachers, workers, and countless others courageously led the
country toward democracy. Months before Rosa Parks and Dr. King stepped
onto history's stage, there were two teenagers -- Claudette Colvin and
Mary Louise Smith -- who defied segregation on Montgomery's buses. Their
courage inspired Parks and the city's black community. Women, especially
-- such as Ella Baker, Diane Nash, Dorothy Height, Jo Ann Robinson,
Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer -- made the movement happen. To
build a mass movement, activate the leadership inherent in
everyone.
4. Connect the issues.
In the last years of his life, which I call his mountaintop period,
King expanded his prophetic vision, articulating the connections between
racism, war, and poverty. At great cost to himself and his organization,
he bridged the concerns of the Civil Rights Movement and the peace
movement, and excoriated the madness and brutality of the Vietnam War. To
those who harshly criticized him for mixing peace and civil rights, King
responded that he was "deeply saddened," because it meant that
they had "never really known me, my commitment, or my calling."
After visiting Joan Baez, who was in jail for draft-resistance
activities, King told her supporters, "I see these two struggles as
one struggle."
5. Widen the circle.
In his final months King called for all of us to "planetize the
movement" and "develop a world perspective." In his
majestic "Christmas Eve Sermon on Peace," King said, "It
really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated." On the
last day of his life King told a trusted aide, "In the next
campaign," their nonviolent movement would "take it
international."
The spirit of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement continues in today's
global movements for ecology and social justice. The transformation that
is underway requires courage, compassion, discernment, and creativity.
These lessons from Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
can offer guidance to the next generation through the perilous present
and into a just and sustainable future.
Drew Dellinger is a speaker, poet, writer, and teacher. He is
founder of Planetize the Movement and author of love letter to the
milky way. See
(805) 962-2571
P.O. Box 92156, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
margie@sbpermaculture.org
www.sbpermaculture.org
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