Monday, January 20, 2014

"The Lord’s going to take care of you"

The following is an excerpt of a civil rights champion Martin Luther King speech, delivered at New Covenant Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on April 9 1967. Complete transcript and audio here.
I remember down in Montgomery, Alabama, an experience that I’d like to share with you. When we were in the midst of the bus boycott, we had a marvelous old lady that we affectionately called Sister Pollard. She was a wonderful lady about seventy-two years old and she was still working at that age. (Yes) During the boycott she would walk every day to and from work. She was one that somebody stopped one day and said, "Wouldn’t you like to ride?" And she said, "No." And then the driver moved on and stopped and thought, and backed up a little and said, "Well, aren’t you tired?" She said, "Yes, my feets is tired, but my soul is rested." (All right)

She was a marvelous lady. And one week I can remember that I had gone through a very difficult week. (Yes) Threatening calls had come in all day and all night the night before, and I was beginning to falter and to get weak within and to lose my courage. (All right) And I never will forget that I went to the mass meeting that Monday night very discouraged and a little afraid, and wondering whether we were going to win the struggle. (Oh yeah) And I got up to make my talk that night, but it didn’t come out with strength and power. Sister Pollard came up to me after the meeting and said, "Son, what’s wrong with you?" Said, "You didn’t talk strong enough tonight."

And I said, "Nothing is wrong, Sister Pollard, I’m all right."

She said, "You can’t fool me." Said, "Something wrong with you." And then she went on to say these words, "Is the white folks doing something to you that you don’t like?"

I said, "Everything is going to be all right, Sister Pollard."

And then she finally said, "Now come close to me and let me tell you something one more time, and I want you to hear it this time." She said, "Now I done told you we is with you." She said, "Now, even if we ain’t with you, the Lord is with you." (Yes) And she concluded by saying, "The Lord’s going to take care of you."
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, via a 'black conservative' tweet.

29 comments:

The Crack Emcee said...

Funny:

Most of the people I know, who relied on the Lord, are dead.

Happy MLK Day!

Shouting Thomas said...

Filipinos are about the only people I know in contemporary society who are openly religious. One of their favorite sayings is:

The Lord will provide.

Yes, He will.

AllenS said...

Yeah, it's a real laugh riot, Crack.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Back in the old days, leaders would persuade follows that their cause was just by resort to an omen; a comet or something like that, perhaps, if convenient. Else there was divination (I think it's called); the oracle interprets a leader's dream, you sacrifice a ram and examine its entrails, something along those lines.

In the modern world of scientific literacy, you can't so easily get away with that kind of stuff.

Regardless, it's comforting to know that even a Magical Negro needs to have a Magical Negro.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

"Most of the people I know, who relied on the Lord, are dead."

Same goes for those who didn't, dumbass.

The Crack Emcee said...

Eric the Fruit Bat,

Really? That's the way you argue?

I'll know not to take you seriously in the future,...

Shouting Thomas said...

Don't worry about a thing
Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Baby, don't worry bout a thing
Cause every little thing gonna be alright


3 Little Birds.

edutcher said...

Few of the people who invoke his name are like that.

ricpic said...

Black folks doin' lots that I don't like.

The above is the great unsayable in Montana Urban Schmendrik's and ARM's USSA.

Meanwhile the Knockout "Game" goes ahead on schedule.

sakredkow said...

Meanwhile the Knockout "Game" goes ahead on schedule.

You can hold black people accountable for doing that, or you can hold people who do that accountable for doing that.

One of the lessons from King that many people still do not understand.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

There is a passage in the speech that if MLK were to give that speech today that passage would probably not make final cut.

Maybe I should have quoted it, instead of the more placid part I did... lest I be called an "enemy".

chickelit said...

You can hold black people accountable for doing that, or you can hold people who do that accountable for doing that.

I agree with what we can do. What we cannot do is to deny its existence and to call it a "myth," just as with other events in the past.

sakredkow said...

Go ahead Lem. Let's see it. Who's going to call you "enemy"?? I'll stand up for you.

Michael Haz said...

Leave it to liberals to turn a thread about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. into a reason to annoy people.

sakredkow said...

Jeez, Haz. What did I say that was so annoying? My response to ricpic couldn't have been that annoying or misplaced, could it? Pretty reasonable, eh?

Or are you referring to some other liberal?

Michael Haz said...

Not applicable to your remarks, phx.

Michael Haz said...

It just annoys me that a topic about Martin Luther King, a man I deeply admire, gets turned into something other than an opportunity to discuss his ideas and accomplishments.

I'll go away now.

sakredkow said...

Sorry, Haz. Sometimes I'm a tad sensitive. I appreciate your admiration for a man like King.

Michael Haz said...

phx, I apologize. I came to this thread after reading the other one that turned into a pissing contest for utterly no reason. Bad mood should have been left elsewhere.

Trooper York said...

You see phx as I understand it Martin Luther King was about equality. Right?

So to your point we should charge black perpetrators who smash little old Jewish ladies in the head because they are white and Jewish with a hate crime. Not because of who they are but because of what they did.

They are not exempt from committing a hate crime because they are black. That is what the Crack Emcee is selling. Buy it at your peril.

Trooper York said...

I am always amazed that I have to stick up for the Jews. That is not for an Irish/Italian guy to do.

But I see acts of black anti-Semitism every other day here in Brooklyn. And it is only going to get worse.

You see the ultra-liberals are in charge of every facet of government. In fact Governor Cuomo has just said that there is no place for some one like me in New York State.

I think he might be right.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Follows? FOLLOWS??!?!

Jesus Criminy Crackers!

Perhaps this would be a good time to mention that one of the tiny talents I'd like to learn is how to touch-type.

sakredkow said...

Not accept an apology on MLK day? What kind of man would I be?

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Sed-ah-GIVE!!!!??!!?!!?!!!

sakredkow said...

Yeah, I haven't heard a really good argument for "hate crimes" yet. I'm not saying they don't exist I just haven't heard one yet.

Partly it's that Low Information Voter in me that makes me hedge.

Trooper York said...

I would agree with you phx. Either eliminate it altogether or apply it equally to all inter-racial crimes. Period.

It was a stupid law in the first place but if it is on the books it should be applied when it obviously fits even if it is a black person doing it. They don't get a pass because of slavery or discrimination or whatever other bullshit you want to pull out of the Crack Emcees ass.

Trooper York said...

There is a new black district attorney in Brooklyn. Do you think he will fairly apply the laws to all of the people of Brooklyn? Will he designate members of his community with the stigma of "hate crimes" as fast as he would do it to some knucklehead guinea from Bensonhurst?

I would ask you that Attorney General Holder?

sakredkow said...

I wouldn't mind a good argument now. I just don't really feel like arguing much about race on MLK day.

Find a better topic.