Freedom rings from our Mountainside

Yesterday, about a thousand—I guess—people gathered here in our Appalachian town to march, cheer, listen, and show solidarity with black citizens of our United States of America.
Our positively excited assemblage of people reminded me of the good ole days. Back in the ’60’s-70’s when I was an LSU student we would conduct such gatherings to express public dissent against unjust killing and mistreatment of humans.

Our march yesterday in the bright June sunshine was organized and led by Raheim Andrews, a home boy who graduated from the same high school as my three offspring.



With urging from Raheim, and a little divine help urged by Reggie Hunt, we gathered peacefully and joyfully to emphasize the truth that Black Lives do indeed Matter.
. . . especially the lives of now-deceased citizens George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, whose names will go down in American history.
Toussaint Romain, deputy general counsel at Appalachian State served as keynote speaker, passionately linking our collective message with the legacy of Dr. King:

“I have a Dream!. . .”
“From every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

That  freedom ringing from the mountainside includes our local voices reverberating beneath our Boone mountain, Howard’s Knob, in the background. . .



Here's a personal aside: to hear my musical portrayal of Dr. King’s mountain inspiration, listen at:
      Mountaintop
      http://www.micahrowland.com/carey/Mountaintop.mp3

Keynote speaker Romain strongly emphasized that this movement is all about fixing a broken justice system, not just disciplining a few bad cops.
Boone Police were very friendly and helpful in their conducting the crowd along King Street.
Alex Fuller and Montana Mills, local young people, also spoke to encourage us that racial justice can be achieved when folks are willing to come together and work toward fixing our broken justice system.

For a more thorough coverage of our march from ASU to the Watauga County courthouse, go here:
https://www.wataugademocrat.com/raheim-andrews-speaks-at-justice-walk-in-boone-6-7-2020/youtube_0b1d1df3-96ce-5c8d-8124-f031daabc32e.html

King of Soul 

MLK Parade in Charlotte

Last Saturday, January 17, 2015, I attended the parade in Charlotte to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After watching the festivity, I have been reflecting for a day or two on those celebrations, while viewing some pics that I snapped there.

This reflection ends with a song I recorded in 1978 about the visionary Dr. King: "Mountaintop"

As a white man who grew up in Mississippi and Louisiana in the 1950's and '60's, I want to express to you what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meant to me, and correlate my expression with images of some of the people I saw two days ago in that parade in downtown Charlotte. What I am seeing is this:

A prophet who saw what needed to happen, then acted effectively to make in happen.

A man who walked, successfully, a tightrope between violent comrades on one side and non-violent believers on the other.

A builder, who built a bridge of provision and good will between those who have and those who had not.

A drum major for justice

A man who did try, in his life, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and forge new opportunity for those who had none.

A man who strove to make a way where there was no way

A man whose hope for mankind has outlasted the injustice that put him in an early grave.

A man whose love for mankind has overcome the evil that men do.

An effective Christian antidote to a world infected by people who had perfected the practice of hate.

A reverent Christian response to a world populated by people who had rejected a loving God.

A servant of the Lord,

A man of peace,

A Christian,

a sinner saved by grace.

A visionary.

This is only a small part of Dr. King's legacy.