New library will observe legacy of Dr. King Jr. Martin Luther King’s ideals... Dr. King was much more than a dreamer.
Hundreds turned out to a local church on Monday to celebrate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and to better understand the mark his message has had on the world.
One of the largest Martin Luther King Jr. events in Southern California, the Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition held its 18th annual celebration of King’s life at the First United Methodist Church. On Wednesday, King would have turned 74 years old. It wasn’t just the ordinary, run-of-the-mill celebration, however.
In recent years, the media has given only sound bites to Dr. King’s message usually in the form of excerpts taken from his “I have a dream” speech. But often times they are used with no context and have little meaning to the general public, Monday’s keynote speaker said.
Sylvia Rousseau focused her speech on Dr. King’s soul and spirit. She said it’s time that we rediscover what King taught the world, particularly its leaders about nonviolence, negotiation, racial understanding and working toward solutions, especially in times of war.
“Sound bites of Martin Luther King’s message is an injustice,” she said. “We need to spend some time to delve into Dr.
“I am duty bound to make sure there is not another year of celebrating the TV version of Martin Luther King,” she added.
Rousseau described King’s childhood as a time when he first noticed the injustices around him. Born into a relatively well-off family, King did not live in poverty but was close enough to it to see disparities. He saw how whites treated blacks during times of segregation and the economic, social and political injustices that ensued because of it.
“The soul and spirit was characterized by his ideals,” Rousseau said, emphasizing King’s message that a man’s character should not be judged where he stands in comfort but where he stands in challenge and controversy.
With a pending war against Iraq continuing to build in the United States, Rousseau suggested that Dr. King would say that war is more costly and risky than finding peaceful alternatives.
Rousseau also said Dr. King’s message of equality has been lost in a society where most people believe they are entitled to more than their brothers and sisters.
“All men were created equal and he believed it more than the writers of the Declaration of Independence,” she said, adding King’s ideals during a time of segregation were bold. “His message that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was a movement so morally driven that it shamed a nation into change.
“The world wasn’t ready for where Dr.
King would go,” she added. “The world didn’t understand the soul and spirit of the man.”
Rousseau said she and all of the Western civilization has a duty now to pay back Africa for the injustices that have been caused there while other parts of the world have capitalized on opportunities of wealth, and to help it through crises like the AIDS epidemic and severe poverty.
“The entire Western world is in debt to Africa,” she said to applause. “When will Africa ever collect her debts?”
West Los Angeles resident Haleh Khavari, whose parents live in Santa Monica, said she appreciated Monday’s observance and Rousseau’s speech because it taught her more about the man and the notion of peace in a time of war.
“It’s so easy for us to go for the violence,” she said. “She focused on his life and the human aspect of it... it wasn’t just about racism. We have to rediscover his message that it’s about everybody and not just one race which is so much needed now with all of the conflict in the world.”
Much to his surprise, Nat Trives, former mayor of Santa Monica, received a lifetime achievement award from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition, a group he helped form 18 years ago when the first observance was held.
After accepting the award, Trives was visibly moved as he wiped tears away from his face. Trives, who was the first speaker at the celebration, said we need to remember Dr. King’s warning that racism cannot be resolved if the powerful continue to profit instead of taking care of people.
“It brings us to life’s most persistent question, ‘What are we doing for others?’” he asked.
Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom told the crowd that the pursuit of education is just as important as protection of civil rights, diversity and social justice.
“Libraries are a critical link in the pursuit of education,” Bloom said, noting that the city is building a new library downtown and the auditorium will be named in memory of Dr. King.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 21, 2003. Read the original PDF.