Friend,
When I sat down to write to you in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this year, I have to admit that it was with a heavy heart. The events of the last 4 years, and especially the last year, the last month, and the last week have taken a toll on me.
I don’t know about you, but I am SO ready to see some progress on the great problems we face as a nation.
Also, (and I hope this doesn’t need to be said) what happened at the Capitol on 1/6/21 is in NO WAY the same as the non-violent March on Washington, the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, or ANY OTHER non-violent coordinated action. What happened in our Capitol on 1/6/21 was violent, it was insurrection, and it was treason.
In times like these, I often find myself looking to the words and deeds of Dr. King for inspiration; His dedication to non-violent protest, to civil disobedience, and his centering of love in the pursuit for justice bring me hope, and provide the light to lead our way.
One of my favorite sermons of the many great speeches Dr. King wrote and delivered is often called “The Drum Major Sermon”. His ability to take what begins as a religious parable and turn it into a call for righteous activism still gives me the chills when I read it or watch video of him delivering it.
“... when we were in jail in Birmingham the other day, the white wardens and all enjoyed coming around the cell to talk about the race problem. And they were showing us where we were so wrong demonstrating. And they were showing us where segregation was so right. And they were showing us where intermarriage was so wrong. So I would get to preaching, and we would get to talking—calmly, because they wanted to talk about it. And then we got down one day to the point—that was the second or third day—to talk about where they lived, and how much they were earning. And when those brothers told me what they were earning, I said, "Now, you know what? You ought to be marching with us.”
This could have been written yesterday. This is the message we still need to preach!
So I am writing to you today not to ask you for a donation, not to ask you to take a specific action, but to implore you to build power in the pursuit of love and justice to honor the memory and passion of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
He closed the Drum Major Sermon with this call to action for us all.
“I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.”
Join me in living a committed life.
In Solidarity,
Sean Frame, Founder
The Six PAC
Share this on Facebook.
The Six PAC is a Federal PAC created to support six carefully selected rural and progressive Democrats. We will focus on candidates who need early money, who face tough primaries against establishment candidates, and who are committed to building power for their community. We will accept no corporate money. This is grassroots money for grassroots candidates.
Facebook - Twitter
Paid for and authorized by The Six PAC
