Celebrate MLK’s birthday weekend, Jan. 15-18
By
Bishop Peggy A. Johnson
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. You may have always wondered about his name.
Was he or his father named for a famed, rebellious monk and professor who left
the Roman Catholic Church and started the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s?
MLK, Jr., much like his German namesake of long ago, also began
a reformation—not of religion but of race, as he led a pivotal civil rights
movement for racial equality in this country. It was truly a movement because
it continues to ripple out in ever-expanding circles of justice-seeking social
change.
The story behind his name comes from Dr. King’s father, the
Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. (1897-1984). He was named Michael King by his
parents, and he named his son Michael King when the future civil rights leader
was born in 1929.
From
‘Michael’ to ‘Martin’
In 1934, the elder King, who was at the time the senior pastor
of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., traveled to Berlin, Germany, for
the World Baptist Alliance. During that trip abroad, he also visited France and
the Holy Land. Afterwards he changed his
name to Martin Luther King.
When asked about it, he said he had an uncle named “Martin”
and another uncle named “Luther.” But one can only surmise that his visit to
the home of the Reformation and its leader also spurred his interest in the
name he adopted.
Throughout his ministry in Atlanta, Martin Luther King, Sr.
was a brave and tireless reformer working for racial equality. His passion for
justice burned even brighter after his visit to Europe.
“Daddy King,” as he would come to be known affectionately, was
active in the NAACP. He led a huge voter registration drive in Atlanta, braved
numerous personal threats, and worked for the equalization of salaries for
African American teachers, to name just a few of his achievements.
‘I am
a man.’
The elder King was once pulled over by a police officer for
a minor traffic violation, and the officer called him “Boy.” Martin Jr., who was in the car, observed as his
father pointed to him and said boldly, “This is a boy. I am a man.” The chastened officer quickly wrote the
ticket and moved on.
Ironically, those same self-affirming words, “I am a man,”
were emblazoned on signs worn by Black sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn., when
they marched for fair treatment and racial equality in 1968. MLK Jr. went there
to march with them and help lead their fight when he was tragically
assassinated April 4.
One cannot over-emphasize the legacy of justice and reform that
was instilled in both the heart and the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. From his
father he learned and experienced first-hand the meaning of the Christian “social
gospel” of liberation for the oppressed.
From his father he learned how to work through the system
to bring about change. His father taught him to take risks for the greater good
and to bravely speak “truth to power.”
Our
decisions, actions proclaim who we are
Today our decisions and actions—or our indecision and
inaction—whether to seek justice for all or to accept the status quo of inequality—make
our lives visible billboards that proclaim who we are and what we believe. Whether
we intend it or not, we are role models for younger generations and even for
one another.
If we claim the name of Christ in our faith, then we should
live up to that name, as MLK Jr. lived up to his. We should strive to be living
examples of the one whom we claim to follow.
I ponder these questions as I celebrate the life and legacy
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He set a fire of justice on a thousand hills
that continues to blaze brightly. He
lived up to his name and to the principles of his faith. Let us all try harder
to do the same.
Resources:
- kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/king-martin-luther-sr
- The Washington Post – 1/15/19
- https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/i-am-a-man
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