Free at last

June 21, 2013 9:04 PM

Thank God almighty... One hundred and one years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months before the march on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 25,000 people in Detroit, and made it clear to America that "the Negro is now determined to be free". This speech in Detroit became the foundation for King's speech in Washington...."I have a dream..." On June 23rd we celebrate the 50th anniversary of that speech in Detroit.
posted by HuronBob (4 comments total)

My understanding from reading Taylor Branch was that the themes and the language had been building for quite some time. Also, who remembers that the central metaphor is a promissory note. Some communist.
posted by shothotbot at 9:11 PM on June 21, 2013

The promissory note is a very Christian metaphor.
posted by Blasdelb at 4:12 AM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

Still gives me chills. Thank you for the reminder.
posted by michellenoel at 9:39 AM on June 22, 2013



~~~====~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:::::::::::::::,:,,:::::,:::,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
~===~~==~~~~~~~~~~:~::::::::::::::::,:,,,~+$DDDDDDDDDDDZ$?=:::::::::~:~:~~::::::
=~==~==~~~~~:~~~~~~~~::::::::::::::,,:?DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDNDDDDD8?~::~:~~~::~::::::,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~::::::::,,$DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDNDDDDI::::::::::::::::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::::::,,,:$DDDDDDDD8OZ7$III?+++?II$DNDNDD?:::::::::::::,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=~~~~~::::::::,,,,8DDDDDDDD8OI??=+++==~~~~~==+$8DDD+:::::::::::::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::::::::::,,,,DDDD8DDD8O$I?+=====~==~~:::~===+?8D+::::::::::::
~~~~~~~~~~:~:~~~:::::::::::,,,,8DD8D8888OZ7I?===~======~::~::~=~~=?D:::::::::,:,
~~~~::~~~~~~~~~::::::::::::,,:IDDDD8O88Z$I??++=+==+=====~~~~~=~====++:::::::::::
::::::~~~~:::~:::::::::::,,,,~DDDD8OZ8ZO$7?=~=+===~~~~=~~=~~~~~~=~===:::::::::,:
::~:::~:~~~~::::::::::::,,,,,8DDDD8$O8ZI==~==++====~~~~~::~~:::~~~~~=+::::::::::
::~:::::::~~::::::::::::,,,,?NDDD88OZ7?====+++=+++~~~~::~::::::::~:~~==:::::::::
~:::::::~:~~::::::::::::,,,,NNNN8DO8$?++=+========~~~~~~~:~::::,~::,:~+~::::::::
~::::::~::~~::::::::::::::::DNNNDD887???++===+??III?7Z??=~::::::,:,,,:=~~:::::::
:~:::~~:~:~::~~::::::::::::$O+ONDNODO7II+==++?+7?I=++$887I+::::::::,,~==::::::::
:::::~~:~~~~~~:~::::::::::~Z?O=~IDND$7I?==++=+?+++~:~~=ZDO$?:::,,:,:::+=::::::::
:~::~~~~~~~~~:::::::::::~+??~~7+IZZ$$I?++===IZZ8NNDNNNO~I77+=~:::,,,,:==::::::::
::::~::~~:~~::::::::::~:+Z+~?7$OZ$$77II?===~++7OO+,8MZNN+I++==~~==$OZII+~:::::::
:::::::::::::::~:::::~~~I$=+:~7?$$$77I??++++===++::7?:=MZI~~:~:+ODDNNDZ$::::::::
::::::::::::::~~~::::~~~7??$::$7OZ$III?I??+=~~:::::=?=:~?=:::::?III+=,:I::::::::
:::::::::::~~::~~:::~~~~=Z+=:?7ZZZ7$?????++=~:::::~~=~:~:~==:::=O$7MNN77::::::::
::::::::::~::~:~:::::~~~~~O=::$OZZZZI??+???+~::::::::~~~++~~~::+?7+D~MD~::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::~~~:::ODNNZZZ$ZZ7I???I??+::,::::::+~+==~::~~:~::IO:~::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::~:~:ZD8IZOZZ7$$7I++?I?+~:::::~7I?=~::~~:::~,~,I?~~::::::::
::::::::::::::::~:::::~~~:7$$ZZZZ$$$$7I??I7I+====?78=I$?=::,,,:,=:::~=~~::::::::
:::::::::::::::~~::::~~~:=$Z$OZOZZ7$7$77?7$?++?+ZO~,,,+MMMMN++==~:,,,~:~::::::::
:::::::::::::::~:::::::::IOOO8O$ZZZI7$77Z$??+????:,,,:~~=+?OMN8DI=,,:~::::::::::
:::::::,::::::::::,::::::OOO88OO$Z$7$I$$7I????==~~=~I78MNNDD8$Z+ND:,~:::::::::::
,,:,,,,,,,,,,,::::::::::=8D888OZZ$Z$7$?I7I77???I?78DZ+::~:IDMNN?N$:~::::::::::::
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:::::::::~8DDD8OZZ77$7I7I$??+?I$$OD$ONNMMND7:::7D+==+::::::::::::
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,::::::::=N$I88DN8$7$$Z7I$I7?IIZZOZMMMMMMMMMNMMMDOZ+?I=::::::::::,:
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:,,,,,?NNN,,D8ONOZZO$77$$77ZZZI=+7+::?8MMMMMMMMDZI$7::::::::::::,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,INNNNND,,8OODZOZZ77ZO$7$7I==I7+~:,,::IMMMMDZZ$Z:::::::::,,:::
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,=NNNNNNNNN,,Z$ND88Z$$$87?I7?++?DI,:~:,,:~==ZZOOO:::::::::::::::
,,,,,,,,,,,,~78DNDNDDNNNNDNN,,:OMND8Z$$O$I+++==?ZMOI=,,:::~I$7ZO::::::::::::::::
,,,,,,:+ODDDDDDDDDD8DDDDNDNNN~,,7NNDO8OZZ?+=~:~=+7MN8I?~:,+?$Z8~::::::::::::::,:
=?$OOO88888888DDDD8D888DDDDDND?,,,ODD88ODZ?=~::~=+?OMMNNOII?7Z:::::::::::::::::,
OOOOOOOO88OOO8DDD8O8888888DNDDD?,,,~Z8DDDD$$?++=~::~:,:==+?I?::,,::::::::::::::,
ZZZZ$ZOOOOOOOO888OZZO8OOO88DDDND,,,,:?ZZ8D8O$$Z7?===~:,::=$+::::,::::::::::::::,
$$$$7$$7$ZZOOZZZOOZOOOOOZOO8DDDD8:,,,,,ZNZDND8DDDZ77I==+7~::::,::::::::::,::::,:
$$7$777777$$$ZZZZOZ$OOOOOZZOO8DD8O:,,,,,,IMMNMMMMMMNND7,,,,,:,:::::::::::,,,:,:,
$$777777777$777$ZZOZZZZZOOZZOO888O8,,,,,INDNMMMMM$,,~M=,,,,,,,::::,,::::,,,,,,:,
Z7I7I77I777$7I777$7ZDZ7$ZZOZZOOO88Z$:,:~,ZNND88N8N=,$MN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
ZZ$I7III7777$77777777O8Z$$$Z$$ZZZOZ$~,,,,,~DN8DO88:,NMMN:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
$ZZ$7IIII7I77I7777II$Z77$$7$Z$ZZZZZ$Z,,,,,,=D88O8$:,MMNDND=,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Z$$7I7I77$I777777777Z7$7I77$$Z$$$$$$77,,,,,,,NND8~~:NMNNDDNNZ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
ZZ$77I7777I7777$77IIIZ777I7$$$$$$$$$$7?,,,,,IDDZZ+:~NDN8D8DNNDD7,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I$ZZ7I7$$7II77777IIIIIO7I77777777$$$$I$:,,,,8DZZ$?,DN8D8O8ZDNNDDD$,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
7IIIZ7?$$$7II777IIIII77$ZI77I777$$$$$77$,,,:8Z$$II,I:DD88OOZ8OO888OO:,,,,,,,,,,,
$7III77IZZZII777III7I7II$O$7I7777$$77$$$+,,IZ7$77$+,,888OOOZOOOOOO8OOZ$7,,,,,,,,
$$7III77O$OII777I?I7I7I77$ZOI777777$$$Z7$:,Z7$7I7$$~,ZODOZOZZOOOOOZOZZOODZ,,,,,,
posted by ocherdraco at 10:05 AM on June 22, 2013 [2 favorites]