WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO DR. KING IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE?

It started out 9 years ago on MLK day, I was a curious former TV  Newswoman, who remembered how much I was fascinated by DR. Martin Luther King as a child. I wanted to know the answer to the impossible? 

I was 9 when he was assassinated.  When given the school assignment to write about a famous person, Dr. King was my choice.  His story was printed on an 11 x 14 cardboard that I checked out from the library. They put it in a special protective legal folder with a drawstring.

I would stare at his picture and read his story again and again.  He became a symbol of what the world should be, kindness to ALL people.  

In 2011 I started my own annual special assignment on MLK day.  I would take my camera and pad of drawing paper and venture off into different neighborhoods.  I wanted to know what other people thought.  So I would ask strangers, "If Dr. King were standing in front of you right now, what is the one question you would ask him or one comment you would make?"

 They would write it on my pad and I would take a photo of them with their comment or question.  

I think the children that I spoke to touched me the most

Some people did not want to participate in my social experiment. It seemed too controversial. 

But as a veteran TV reporter, I understood that kind of apprehension and respectfully left looking for others to learn from.  Everyone has their own reason for connecting with Dr. King.

Well after 2011 I knew this annual MLK day journey would take me many places, and start many conversations. Oh and I there would be surprised too.  

It never dawned on me that people from other countries would not know who Dr. King was!   But these individuals from London, India, and Nigeria weren't certain.  One place I knew for sure I could find people to talk would be at the MLK Parade in L.A.  

Then I  went to Calabasas to see what people might say there? 

Everywhere I went people wanted to be heard.  

They wanted answers or a moment to say thank you.

Don't get me wrong, some had not so nice things to say.  

My goal was just to ask, the answers were just a way of 

putting  my thumb on the pulse of this subject. 

There were 2 comments from my journey yesterday that stood out to me in very different ways.

Both white males in their 70's-80's, both didn't want to be photographed or write anything down.  

But they did want me to know what they were thinking.

"I didn't like him at all, I have nothing to say about him".

The other was a question.

"I'd ask him, who really shot you?"

We need to understand that everyone has the right to their own opinion, whether we agree or disagree. 

 It would be nice to have civil conversations once again, where different thoughts didn't spark such hatred.

 

Moving forward let's try and do it together.  

Keep asking questions and sharing your thoughts in a kind way!

That's all for today.  

Bless You!!