Day 2: Walk the Talk

Day 2: Walk the Talk

Watching a documentary on MLK on the bus, I learned new details of his life and how he not only inspired others by his preaching and non-violent protests, but he lived out what he preached in so many different ways.  He moved into an apartment without heat in Chicago to live among those he wanted to help with housing.  When people in the neighborhood realized it was really Dr. Martin Luther King living among them, he won them over with his actions and life.  And he chose not to see others as enemies – he responded to one woman who was hateful toward him with “You’re too beautiful to be so mean” and she later came back and apologized.  His love had the power to defuse hatred and bestow dignity.

Another highlight was meeting Charles Person, who was a Freedom Rider on one of the two buses leaving Washington D.C.  in 1961 headed for New Orleans.  What a privilege to hear the first-hand account of his resolve to continue the trip despite the horrific verbal and physical abuse he endured from the hands of hate filled individuals and mobs. He recounted how he had a little book that he kept in his breast pocket to record important events of the journey, and people who had provided a place to stay and a meal to eat, and who he wanted to thank later.  He regrets losing his coat and never being able to thank these “lesser-known heroes” but will always remember their kindness.  His story inspires and empowers others to not be silent and to continue the fight for justice and dignity for all.

Linda Poston

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