I WAS AT HOME ONE NIGHT WHEN THERE WAS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR. I OPENED IT AND TO MY AMAZEMENT, THERE STOOD MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HE WAS DRESSED EXACTLY THE WAY THEY USED TO DRESS IN THE 1960s, YOU KNOW WITH THE SUITS AND THE THIN NECKTIES, ONLY HE WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE LIKE AN OLD MOVIE BUT THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS STILL IN COLOR.
HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE HAD BEEN GONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW AND HE WAS LOST. HE STATED THAT THE WORLD HAD CHANGED SO MUCH AND HE HOPED THAT I COULD GET HIM REACQUAINTED WITH OUR SOCIETY SO THAT HE COULD MAYBE FIND HIS WAY BACK TO HIS FAMILY. I INVITED HIM IN AND TOLD HIM TO MAKE HIMSELF COMFORTABLE.
WHEN MARTIN SAT IN FRONT OF MY ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM, HE ASKED ME ABOUT ALL THE STRANGE CONTRAPTIONS THAT WERE CONNECTED TO MY TELEVISION. I EXPLAINED THAT ONE WAS MY VCR, ANOTHER THE SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM AND THE OTHER MY DVD PLAYER. MARTIN ASKED, "WHAT IS A VCR?" "WHAT IS A DVD PLAYER?" "WHAT IS SURROUND SOUND?" I EXPLAINED THE TECHNOLOGIES TO HIM AND HE WAS ASTONISHED. THEN HE ASKED ABOUT THE FOURTH BOX. I TOLD HIM THAT THAT WAS MY CABLE BOX. BASED ON THE CONFUSED LOOK ON HIS FACE, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS TOO NEEDED EXPLAINING.
I TURNED ON THE TELEVISION AND AFTER A BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THE REMOTE CONTROL, HE WAS OFF CLICKING FROM CHANNEL TO CHANNEL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, MARTIN WAS WORKING THE REMOTE LIKE A PRO! BEING A MAN MADE IT VERY EASY FOR HIM TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE REMOTE. HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED TO LEARN THAT THERE WERE SO MANY CHANNELS GEARED TOWARDS SPECIFIC INTEREST; ESPECIALLY SPORTS AND ESPN.
HE CONTINUED TO GO THROUGH EACH CHANNEL AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED AT ONE OF THE MUSIC CHANNELS THAT WAS AIRING A HIP-HOP PROGRAM. DR. KING ASKED, "WHAT IS THIS?" I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THIS WAS A MUSIC VIDEO AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT TODAYS MUSIC WAS PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC. AS ONE THUGGISHLY BLINGED-OUT VIDEO AFTER ANOTHER WAS AIRED, I NOTICED A CEASE IN THE QUESTIONS.
MARTIN WAS SILENT. HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS CHANGED FROM THAT OF AMAZEMENT, TO DISTRESS AND FINALLY, DISAPPOINTMENT. HE ASKED, "IS THIS WHAT OUR MUSIC HAS BECOME?" IS THIS SUPPOSE TO BE PROGRESS?" "WHY DO WOMEN CONDONE THIS IGNORANT AND OBSCENE PORTRAYAL OF OUR MEN?" "HAVE THEY FORGOTTEN THE ABUSE, THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL RAPE THAT THEIR FEMALE ANCESTORS HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TOO?" "AND WHY DO OUR YOUNG MEN ACT THIS WAY?" OBSESSED WITH MATERIALISM AND BEING DISREPECTFUL TO WOMEN?" I INFORMED HIM THAT THIS SOCIAL "STYLE" WAS KNOWN AS THUGGIN'. HE ASKED ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT THUGGIN' WAS. I SAID, "IT MEANS TO BE HARD AND UNFEELING, YOU KNOW, A GANGSTA, "RIDE OR DIE", "CASH RULES EVERYTHING" HAVING NO RESPECT FOR ANYTHING NOR ANYONE, ANY NEGATIVE QUALITY OF A MAN."
AFTER SEVERAL STRANGE LOOKS FROM MARTIN, I THEN REALIZED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN OR JUSTIFY "THUGGIN'" TO AN INTELLIGENT PERSON SUCH AS HE, SO I CHANGED TRHE SUBJECT. ABRUPTLY, MARTIN ASKED, "CAN ANYONE ELSE SEE THESE VIDEOS?" "ANYONE WHO PAYS FORE CABLE." I REPLIED. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU WILLINGLY PAY MONEY TO WITNESS THIS?" MARTIN ASKED. I COULD ONLY ANSWER YES BUT I FELT ASHAMED TO ADMIT THIS TO SUCH A RIGHTEOUS MAN.
MARTIN ASKED, "IS THIS BEHAVIOR ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE?" WHERE HAVE ALL THE MINISTERS, PASTORS AND LEADERS GONE?" I TOLD HIM THAT SINCE HE HAD LEFT US, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYONE WILLING TO STEP UP AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MARTIN SAID, VERY SADLY, "I NEVER WORRIED ABOUT LEAVING HERE BECAUSE I WAS SO SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE WHO WOULD COME AFTER ME AND CARRY ON THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND RESPECT.
AS THE VIDEOS CONTINUED TO AIR, MARTIN BECAME MORE AND MORE DISGUSTED. HE STOOD UP AND SAID, "THIS IS HOW WE OVERCAME?" HE GRABBED MY CABLE BOX, RIPPED IT FROM THE BACK OF THE TELEVISION AND SMASHED IT TO THE FLOOR. BEING WHO HE WAS AND KNOWING DEEP DOWN INSIDE THAT HE WAS RIGHT, I COULDN'T GET MAD.WITH AN AWKWARD SILENCE, WE STOOD THERE LOOKING AT TH EWRECKAGE THAT WAS ONCE MY CABLE BOX. MARTIN THEN APOLOGIZED AND ASKED IF WE COULD PLEASE LEAVE BECAUSE HE JUST WANTED TO SEE HIS FAMILY.
"IS THERE ANY PLACE THAT I CAN GO TO GET SOME GIFTS FOR MY FAMILY?" MARTIN ASKED. I KNEW JUST THE PLACE. WE GOT INTO MY CAR AND HEADED FOR THE MALL. DR. KING WAS FASCINATED BY THE SIZE OF THE MALL AND THE SELECTION OF DIFFERENT STORES. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A WEEKEND BECAUSE AS WE WALKED AROUND, I NOTICED THAT THE MALL WAS PREDOMINATELY FILLED WITH TEENAGERS. MANY OF THEM WERE LOUD AND USING PROFANITY. MARTIN ASKED A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS SURROUNDED BY A GROUP OF HIS FRIENDS WHY WAS IT NECESSARY TO BE SO PROFANE AND CONDUCT HIMSELF IN WAYS THAT WERE NOT ONLY DISRESPECTFUL TO HIMSELF BUT ALSO TO HIS PEOPLE.
THE YOUNG MAN REPLIED, "F---- YOU MAN!" NI**A, YOU AIN'T MY DADDY!" I HAD TO RESTRAIN MARTIN FROM DISCIPLING THE YOUNG MAN ON THE SPOT. I ASKED THE TEENAGER, "DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS?" HE REPLIED, "HELL NAW!" "HE AIN'T ICED OUT SO WHY SHOULD I CARE?"
AT THIS POINT, I WAS ABOUT READY TO SNATCH MY MAN UP BUT MARTIN URGED ME TO LET IT GO. AFTER DR. KING WAS ABLE TO CALM DOWN, HE REALIZED THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE ONLY IMITATING AND IDOLIZING THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD SAW ON THE VIDEOS. "THEY HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH THE INGNORANCE OF THE IMAGES THAT THEY COVET." "SO THIS IS OUR FUTURE?"
I SUGGESTED THAT WE JUST GET THE GIFTS AND GO. AS I STARTED TO WALK FURTHER, I NOTICED MARTIN WALKING BACK TOWARDS THE DOOR THAT WE CAME IN. I RAN AFTER HIM, SHOUTING, "WHOA, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" WITH A DISTRESSED LOOK, MARTIN SAID, "I'D RATHER GO BACK." "WHY?" I ASKED. HE SAID, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAN, I NEVER GOT TO SEE MY KIDS GROW UP. I MISSED THE HOLIDAYS, GRADUATIONS AND BIRTHDAYS, ALL IN THE NAME OF SACRIFICE. I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO BRING ABOUT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THIS GENERATION. ALL I SEE IS THAT A FEW OF US HAVE GOTTEN RICH AND THE REST BECAME SLAVES AGAIN."
I SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, THIS ISN'T SLAVERY!" MARTIN LOOKED AT ME AND REPLIED, "OH, IT ISN'T?" HE TURNED, WALKED TOWARDS THE DOORS AND EXITED THE MALL. I TRIED TO STOP HIM FROM LEAVING BUT OUT OF NOWHERE, A SECURITY GUARD JUMPS IN FRONT OF ME AND TELLS ME THAT I CAN'T FOLLOW HIM. I WRESTLED MYSELF FROM THE GRIP OF THE SECURITY GUARD AND BOLTED FOR THE DOOR BUT ONCE I HAD MADE IT OUTSIDE, DR. KING HAD VANISHED.
I STOOD OUTSIDE PANNING THE PARKING LOT DESPERATLEY HOPING TO VIEW DR. KING. SUDDENLY, AN ESCALDE, ON 24 INCH RIMS AND BUMPING SOME IGNORANT THUG ANTHEM STARTED DIRECTLY TOWARDS ME. ALL I COULD DO WAS BRACE MYSELF FOR THE IMPACT. RIGHT BEFORE THE SUV HIT ME, I AWOKE FROM MY DREAM. AS I LAY THERE IN A PUDDLE OF SWEAT, I TRIED REPEATEDLY TO SHAKE THE DREAM BUT TO NO AVAIL.I REMEMBERED THOSE WHO HAD SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE WITH FREEDOM AND EQUALITY. I WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF WE HAD TO STAND BEFORE THEM AND ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY WHAT WE HAD BECOME AS A RACE. I ALSO WONDERED WHAT MADE ME HAVE SUCH A DREAM. AFTER HOURS OF THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS, I CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY GUILT. THE GUILT OF KNOWING THAT WE HAD FALLEN WAY SHORT OF MARTIN LUTHR KING JR'S DREAM. THAT DREAM IS NO LONGER A DREAM. IT HAS NOW BECOME A NIGHTMARE IN WHICH WILL SHALL NEVER AWAKE.
