In all my professional and personal travels — a million both “life-miles” and also in those amazing pressurized flying machines — I have had the privilege to exchange much with internationallyrecognized luminaries and public figures in business, academia, publishing and sports. Most regrettably, Dr. King was murdered when I was entirely too young and unwise to fully comprehend all that he was. And represented. It took some years for my wisdom to begin to catch up with my chronological age.
Writing this with sadness, incomprehension, even fury that there is clearly no genuine successor to Dr. King. Imagine what the social, political, economic spectrum might look like today in the US were Dr. King among us? And the bleak social horizon? How that might radiate beyond our borders?
I write and speak much about leadership. What I do is not “your father’s leadership” stuff, subject of likely 20,000 books in print and numerous talking heads spewing massive and haughty word-salads at vertiginous rates. Among others, I invoke Dr. King some.
I wrote herein-above: all that he was and represented. That is an elegant concept. In that, Dr. King was among few! It took me a few billion dollars in commerce, lots of bruises and, gratefully, wisdom shared by the only two mentors I have had — thus far — to be able to make and act out the distinction. Dr. King was among the few who represented everything he was. Having read much of what he wrote, and listened to every public speech he ever delivered, if any reader of this ever does any public speaking, understanding the “orator” Dr. King is paramount.
Not perfect — are any of us? —he comes close to the rare person who was as bleeding-edge brilliant as never situationally ethical.
At the risk of “breaking”, he did not bend under all unrelenting pressures brought upon, yes, who he was, what he was, and what he represented. His untimely death speaks to the immense risks he took.
In my imaginary world as king of the universe, everybody in US high-schools and again in colleges, will be mandated to read every speech Dr. King ever delivered.
Just some thoughts on the untimely passion of a righteous man…
If interested, reach out and I will send you my piece titled Tears For The Righteous. I wrote that when my best friend, my brother-by-choice suddenly passed away. Regrettably, or perhaps not, it has been read at way too many memorial services around the world.
Have a happy, healthy, prosperous and tranquil new year.
©2023. Steven J. Manning. All rights reserved worldwide. Any reproduction in part or whole, in any medium whatsoever is strictly prohibited.