Today is the 39th anniversary of the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hard to believe it was 39 years ago, and hard to realize he was only 39 at the time.
Before the time he was killed, the U.S. was in the midst of social change. The Civil Rights Movement had raised the consciousness of many. Even my father's family, my dyed in the wool racist, classist uncles, slowly began to change their outlooks. Churches began having unheard-of ecumenical services and socials, black and white together. My older brothers went to the Brooklyn Fox Theatre to see black rock n rollers on stage with white. The audience was mixed, too. There was no big deal about it. They were there for the music. I was in grammar school and black kids came in on the bus. My best friend was Laura Orlando, bussed in from Flatbush. We got in trouble regularly together, but not because we were different races; because we were the same- instigators.
Then Reverend King was killed. Everyone cried. There was rioting in the streets. The church gatherings stopped. Laura went to another school and I never saw her again. My brothers all enlisted in the Army. We were in a catastrophic war that seemed pointless and unwinable. A change happened somewhere that ended the tentative bond that had begun between white and black. We were divided just as we were about to be united.
Reverend King's murder had marked something else; the end of an era when society itself had freely chosen, in good faith, to get better. With Bobby Kennedy's killing that summer, hope died. Nixon was elected. The rest is history.
Dividing folks is a great tactic. It keeps people too busy to pay attention. I had a boss who'd taken the Loew's Management course. They'd instructed that the best way to maintain control was to set employees against each other. Give them reasons to distrust each other. Pin one out as a scapegoat. Make a choice few your pets, but don't let it be known to the others. Those pets will be your flunkies. But don't treat them that well, either. Always set unattainable goals to keep your authority. Pretty Machiavellian for a Theatre Manager, but they were tools that boss used for his whole life. He was a successful businessman. And working for him was hell.
I'm seeing this divisiveness now, in our nation and even this town, among the so-called Lefties. It amazes me that one inconsequential action by the new Selectboard, that really doesn't make a difference in the big picture, has drawn so much fire. From every side. Progressives disown two SB members. The non-confrontational lefties criticize and distance themselves. The Old Guard pat their bellies and laugh in delight, watching newly-elected (by a wide margin) progressive types get stomped. While some sit back, taking notes on what to bring up for next year's election. Solidarity wanes.
Division happens. Opinions and feelings happen. But if we don't stay conscious of the big picture, we'll lose what ground we've gained. There is room for all at the table, and in fact it was a feeling of marginalizing that brought these days to pass. Let's not lose sight of the chance for inclusiveness when it's within our grasp. I've seen it happen before.