Monday, February 04, 2008

 

Cyber Assignment for MLK III

You can post the three paragraph reflection on Martin Luther King III here. Respond to my questions: What is the thesis or main point of this profile? What do you think the author thinks of MLK III? Do you think King has had much of a choice over the direction his life has taken? What if anything, can he do about it? Are there some things we have no choice in?

In class today we went over a grammar quiz. Visit www.grammarbook.com. After we corrected the sentences, we then had a discussion using Hacker's Rules for Writers to locate an explanation for the error. We had a lot of fun and several students are skilled grammarians. For those students who had difficulties, this exercise was an opportunity to learn where you are weakest so you can start studying in that area. I suggested that students do the grammar refresher work in the Writing Center (L-234), just in case you get stuck; someone is there who can help you.

I handed out another essay from Children of the Movement: "Ben Cheney and Angela Lewis." Ben's brother James Earl Cheney was murdered along with two other Civil Rights Workers, the Summer of '64. It really scarred Ben. On Channel 9, the 2/17,"Eyes on the Prize" episode (12-2 PM) addresses this tragedy.

We talked about the trauma the families of those killed or maimed during this violent era in our history and the absence of psychological help for the families. And if there was help, its refusal. The Civil Rights Movement was a war. It was a continuation of the Civil War and its wounded landed on both sides of the barbed wire fences. These wounds are still festering. Just think about what Alice Walker observed when revisiting Coretta Scott King. Just think about what Walker shared with us about her own pain, suffering and loss, and then multiply what we know by all the stories untold.

There is a series on Channel 9 called Eyes on the Prize: 12-2 PM Sunday, Feb. 10 and Feb. 17. It's a documentary history of the Civil Rights Movement. We missed part one Sunday, Feb. 3. But the other two are yet to be aired. You can borrow the tapes from the library. I think Laney College owns the series.

Other programs: 2/6: AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 9 PM and PRINCE AMONG SLAVES AT 11 PM; 2/10: COLORBLIND AT 2 PM; PIECE BY PIECE: HISTORY OF SF GRAFFITTI ART AT 6 PM; EVENING WITH ANDREW YOUNG AT 7 PM; 2/11: OPRAH'S ROOTS AT 10 PM; 2/13: A TALE OF TWO CITIES: ALLENSWORTH (A BLACK TOWN IN CA) AT 7:30 PM; 2/17: Soul of Justice: Thelton Henderson's American Journey, AT 6 PM; HIP HOP: BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES AT 11 PM;2/18:FANNIE LOU HAMER AT 11:30 PM; 2/19: BANISHED AT 11 PM; 2/20: AMERICAN MASTERS: ARETHA FRANKLIN AT 4 AM. YOU SHOULD TAPE THIS TO WATCH LATER.

Check www.kqed.org/heritage. I didn't list everything, and there are also many programs on the radio this month too.

Oh I was mistaken, this is a leap year. February has 29 days this year. Oh, don't forget to post your homework response essays to the "Coretta King: Revisited" essay. Include the planning sheet.

Comments:
Irene Nu
201B

In the essay Martin Luther King III, the main point of is telling the audience the kind of life he is living after his father’s death. Everybody expected him to be successful in life, or just like his father. But he was just an ordinary guy, who is concern about closing up the blind and making sure that the door is locked. “Even the reporters who periodically interview him seem disappointed that he’s just a regular guy” (100), which shows that the author of this essay expected more from MLK III because of his father.

I don’t think king really has any choice over direction his life has taken, because his father was a person who everybody knows. Everybody expected him to be like his father. For an ordinary guy like king, he just wants to be a regular guy who can probably go out the street without giving out his signature. He doesn’t have any choice because he is the son of DR. Martin Luther King Jr. son.

King really can’t do much about it because he is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. son. Which he doesn’t seem to really care about, we think he would continue what his father has accomplished for us. Sometimes there are things that are given to us that we don’t have a choice to choose from, but we still have to live with it. Like MLK III, a lot of people may admire him for being the son of MLK Jr.; maybe he just hasn’t realized how great it is to be the son of MLK Jr. yet. He has no choice but to try to be happy and proud that he’s the son of MLK Jr., because he can’t choose whose his father is.
 
Christopher Yee
201A 10-12

In the essay of Martin Luther King III. The main point was let people know how the death of his father has impact him and his family. I believe the author who interviewed him was expecting more from Martin III.

i think MLK III was pressured towards the direction his life has taken. Many people expected great things from him, cause he is the son for Martin Luther King Jr, but he just wanted to live his own life without having to be compared to his father.

I believe MLK III wants to be able to live his own life. He wants to be able to have something that he is willing to die for. He doesn't want to have to feel like his has to compete with his father and continue with what Martin Luther King Jr was doing, but if he really wants i believe he does have a choice in what he wants to do.
 
Chung Tu
201A 10-12

In the story MLK III, the author is comparing their father and son relationship. I believe that MLK III wanted to live on his own life not continues his father step, we thought he would continues on to accomplish what MLK does, but knowing he the son of MLK JR he is really different from his father. He wanted to live a simple life to himself. But MLK III had no choice. Many peoples admire him for being MLK son, but he rather not. He want to be a regular person and live on his life.
 
201A 1-3

In this essay ‘Martin Luther King III’, thesis is how he can live after his father was assassinated. Many people expected who to watch him “Little Marty” but he is not as much as his father. I think author is a little disappointed of MLK III because of his ordinary life.

Because he is son of MLK Jr. I don’t think King III has had much of a choice over the direction of his life, Also after his father’s assassination, whether King wanted or not he was the man of the household and he has to live on his own. It means he accepted the reality and his ability.

We can dream our own way of life and we can try to achieve our dreams to be successful but, in our lives unexpected things could happen like MLK III. He may choose to live his life not to follow his father’s life. I respect the way of his life.
 
Essence Mercer
English 201A
Professor Sabir 10-12
February 6, 2008

In the essay Martin Luther King III, the main focus is on Martin and his fight to “Live up to” his fathers legacy. King states that when his father died, he was now the man of the house. Many of the things that he began doing at eleven, he continued well into his adult years. As an adult he was elected to the presidency of SLCS in 1998. A role that his father had served while he was alive. A lot of people expected him to be as great as his father was but Martin believed that “tactics have to change with time” (pg.97)

Martin or “Little Marty” which was what he was referred to as a boy dibbled in politics for a while. Nothing really good came out of him doing that and he even lost a hometown election to a less deserving Caucasian candidate. Critics have been hard on him over the years for not being more like his father. They are two different men with two different personalities. His father was a leader and believed so much in a cause that he ended up dying for it. Martin says “I feel that I’m going to push as much as I need to push. But I’m not sure I found the one thing that I’ll push so much that it might cause death.” (pg.100)

The desire to keep the legacy of his father alive is something that he and siblings all share. Many people have cited MLK Jr. and never received permission from his estate to do so. The King family have sued many for using King’s words and the majority of the lawsuits were settled. Let the King family live in peace and stop trying to turn a son into his father. What his father did for us was amazing but that does not mean that they have the same paths in life.
 
Eng 201 10-12

In the essay Martin Luther King III, the author examines the legacy Martin Luther King, Jr. hand down to his eldest son, Martin, and Martin’s struggle with the obligations of his name. When he interviewed Martin, the author realized the dilemma in King’s life and depicted, “He [Martin] wants to talk about his future, but his past keeps intruding” (95). It shows how he is overwhelmed by his past experience and the name of his father.

Because of the legacy he handed down and the choice he made that he became a politician or a civil rights leader his life cast a shadow of his father. When he became the president of the SCLC, one of the board members says, “He brings the name and he has the authority to use that name. That is the reason he was brought in”(96). It is a good example of what people wanted to see and hear MLK, JR. again from Martin. In a way, Martin seems to struggle against his identity his environment created. Even though he says, “I think it’s important to be here to continue the process. I think my objective is to carry the legacy forward to the next level,” (101) he is still looking for the role that he willingly pour out all of his passion, “something worth dying for” in his father’s term.

If his father’s mission couldn’t become the mission of his, living as a child of the Movement is only the obligation of his name. Like “little Marty”, everyone born into the environment that he or she didn’t create, but I believe, everyone has chance to look something worth dying for and lives by his own decision.
 
Carmen Truong
English 201
Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for segregation has help us today living with equal rights. Today, white and black people can eat in the same restaurants, drink at the same water fountains, sit where ever they want in the bus, at school, etc… Racism has not occurred since then. Martin Luther King has spent his whole life giving speeches trying to give equal rights between white and black people. In April 4, 1968 King was assassinated. White people hate on black people, they don’t want to be equal with black people, because white people think they are better than the black people.
After Martin Luther King was assassinated, his son Martin is told that he is the man in the house and should be closing up the blinds, and make sure doors were locked (95). Because he is Martin Luther King’s son, there is nothing he can do about it, people expects him to be like his father. To do what his father did that made people respect him. Martin tries hard to become the civil rights leader just like his father but people thinks he is not ready because he is not mature enough, people still think him as just a typical guy. Martin still hasn’t done anything to impress people yet, and he is still living with his mom (101).
I think Martin is living a tough life, because people expect too much of him. Martin really has no choice, because everyone expects him to follow his dad’s footstep and be the leader. “Daddy used to say if a man hasn’t found something worth dying for, he isn’t fit to live (107)”. At the end, Martin has become the head of SCLC. That should be the biggest hope his father would wants to be success just like him. Martin Luther King is what people hope for to have, and now we have a Martin Luther King Day the January 15, 1929 for the memories with him people shared and the segregation he fought for.
 
Ewa Dobrzynska
English 201B
Prof. Wanda Sabir
In “Martin Luther King III Son of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.” we read the story about a MLK son as a little boy and his childhood. Before he talks the future he was asked about the moment when his father died. Time when he lost his father was very hard for him. “He is the elder son of King’s sons”(pg.96). None of Martin Luther King Jr. children made the same role as their father did Martin is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the same organization his father led. Martin brings back the name in to organization. Everyone expect him to be exactly like his father but Martin says:”The word is different these days. Not everything you are going to take on today is going to be a national story” (pg98).
People talk a lot about Martin that he did not have a good instinct, “he was ordinary man with the extra ordinary name”. He is smart, sensitive and very shy person as he said about himself. He is never going to be good as a leader and to inspire people to action. He did not have a passion in anything he was doing. His voice during the speeches was flat and unable to encourage people to something you are not sure about. Everyone wants him to be his father but he is never going to be, he is just a Martin III his oldest son.
Martin did not care what the media was talking about him. He is just a normal person and he have to live with dignity and weight his name gives him. He did not decided yet what he really wants to do in his live. Someday he will start doing everything with passion and gives his whole time to do it. His father gave everything he have( his heart, money and time he could spend with family).
 
Ewa Dobrzynska
1. This blog is to help as improve writing and to get all informarion about classes and homework.
2. In an essay author see that MLK III is just a person, little boy. He is going to be himself.you cannot copy someone who you are not. Martin did not have much choieces- he could try to be like his father or find his own passion.That is his decision
 
Ewa Dobrzynska
1. This blog is to help as improve writing and to get all informarion about classes and homework.
2. In an essay author see that MLK III is just a person, little boy. He is going to be himself.you cannot copy someone who you are not. Martin did not have much choieces- he could try to be like his father or find his own passion.That is his decision
 
Ewa Dobrzynska
1. This blog is to help as improve writing and to get all informarion about classes and homework.
2. In an essay author see that MLK III is just a person, little boy. He is going to be himself.you cannot copy someone who you are not. Martin did not have much choieces- he could try to be like his father or find his own passion.That is his decision
 
Theresa Smith
Professor Sabir
English 201b 10-12
February 6, 2008


In response to this passage, Michael Ross was a long time friend who new Martin Luther King the III since he was a young child. Martin was a normal person that just wanted to fit in as his own person. He wanted to support his father’s Legacy but did not want to have to try and be just like his father.

As the interview took place, Martin (Marty for short) was forty seven years old; he was the eldest of four children. Marty got older he tried to follow in his father foot steps. As a forty year old man Marty with a soft boyish voice, remembers his father playing with him outside and assisting him in riding his bike. Marty’s father died when he was six so he had to step up and become the man of the house. Every night Marty would close the door and close the blinds to his mother and father’s house.
As Marty grew older, he had to face a lot of responsibilities. He was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1998 because his father was a Civil Rights Leader. A lot of people envied Marty and wanted him to become something he’s was not. Marty was a nice man and never wanted trouble. He wanted to carry on in his father’s name but he wanted to do it in his own way. Marty also tried to run for Commissioner in 1993 and he had to resign due to problems with the Internal Revenue Service. Marty was also assigned by the governor to run the Regional Transportation Authority. He did not take those responsibilities well and forfeited the position. Marty’s desire was not to be in the public eye that was not what he wanted out of life. GQ Magazine, “page100”. Celebrities and men in power were outraged with Marty’s behavior, by not continuing to follow in his father’s foot steps. Marty’s siblings had to defend their father’s Legacy they sued Henry Hampton and USA Today in 1993 in an effort to ensure their father received credit for his work. In 1999 the family agreed to sell all of Martin Luther King Jr. papers to the library for twenty million dollars.

In conclusion Marty’s remembers his father and what he stood for, but the Civil Rights Movement was very different back then. The fights to enforce laws are being handled in a very different way. “Marty’s says I’m not sure I found the one thing that I’ll push so much that it may cause death”. “Dr Martin Luther King Jr. said to say if a man hasn’t found something worth dying for, he isn’t fit to live”.
 
Jessica Ramos
201B 1-3

The main point of the essay of Martin Luther King III is that when you are related to someone who was or is very famous, someone who was working for the benefit of others, there is always going to be people that will want to see you, hear you, have an autograph, or just know what you are doing. This essay is about Martin Luther King Jr.’s son, who is named after him. By having the same name as his father, obviously there will be people who would want to know what he I doing, there would be people who would wonder if he’s following his father’s steps. There will always be people who would like to know what the son of Martin Luther King Jr. is up to just because he has the same name of his father, who is someone that many people admire.
The author might have different thoughts from other people towards Martin Luther King III. What I think the author thinks is that not just because he is Martin Luther King Jr.’s son he has to do the same things his father did. Even though Martin Luther King III has done some of the same things his father did, for example, he “was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the same organization his father led” (95). He is also a public speaker and has given many speeches. But just by him doing this, it doesn’t mean he has to do the same things his father did. Probably his father had much more passion for them than he does. There could be a time where he will realize that he doesn’t want to be just like his father.
I think that Martin Luther King III didn’t have much of a choice over the direction of his life, well at the beginning. He was probably just doing what he was ding because other people expected him to do so, not much because it came from him. Maybe later in his life he realized that he didn’t have to do the same work his father did, that he could go into another direction. He can work on something that h could truly enjoy, somewhere where he could put all his passion into. This was a choice he had, he could decide to do the same as his father or do something new. This world is full of choices and the choices you make will either benefit or not benefit you, but everyone is always making choices and I don’t think there are things we have no choice in.
 
Sophia Andrews

In the essay Son of Reverned Martin Luther King Jr. The author is trying deeply to prove that Martin Luther King Jr III is put in an unfair position to uphold the title that his Father Dr. King was striving to hold before his death “ But people want Martin to push more. They want passion. They want inspiration." (pg 100) Societ wants Martin to be something that he doesn’t neccesarily does not for himself.
Due to the fact that he is the son of a man who, was so almighty in the power of words, and a huge movement, society, family, and most likely Marty’s inner feelings make him feel bligated to take the stand and replace his father’s capability. This Unfortunately leaves him with no choice over the choices in his life. He has none. He didn’t ask to be born to a man of knowledge and the power to change the world, but because he was brought into these circumstances he gets reviws from the world that expect him to be more then what he is, but how? How can he replace the shoes of a man who lived it, loved it and fought for it because he wanted to?
Martin the III cant change the fact that Dr. King is his father, and that he will be tied to specific stanndards that the world who expects change is going to want, that his father was doing. Although he may appriciate his dads work and wishes deeply that he can bring him back so change can be created, he is faced with the insecurity that he is not Martin Luther King Jr. He is Martin Luther King the III and he has a life to live of his own.
 
Roger Tran
02/9/8
Ms. Sabir
Class 10/12

MLK III


Within this article, what it is being talked about is the son of Martin Luther King jr. Martin the III was being interviewed about how he feel dealing with his father’s death and how he is currently going to live on his life, continuing his fathers legacy or his own way. Little Martin is a very interesting man, seeing that he is not like his father at all nor have most of the quality like his father. Even though he was in the same position in the SCLC, he didn’t even do much or too the same initiatives like MLK jr..

Later on in the interview, he talks about the real truth of the one that had killed his father and not the actual man himself. He stated that there was co conspiracy going on and that they had made a special military group that had actually killed him instead (104). He tried to help out the man that was supposedly the one who done it but then the court kept on extending it, therefore leading to the mans death later on. Little martin want the memories of his father to live on and not forgotten through this stage and many people did not see it worth.

Altogether, little Martin going on a difficult path than his father. From choosing a path different from his father and wanting people to know him for who he is was something very heard because of the name he carried. Therefore wanting that, it will be hard on him since they mainly know about his father doings and for him they will know of his fathers name not him.
 
Dylan

In this essay, the main point is letting the audience know how he went about his life after his father's death. Everyone thought that he was going to be successful, just like his father. People say that he was just another ordinary guy.

Everyone knew who his father was so Martin Luther King had no choice but to live up to his dad. He never wanted to be famous, but he is known for being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s son so either way he's going to be famous.

People say they expect him to follow in his father's footsteps and continue on the path to freedom that his father once started. Most people would do anything to be the son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
 
Erik Del Nero
English 201 B
2/5/08


Martin Luther King the 3rd

Martin Luther King the third was a hard working man. He wanted to be able to live his life without his father’s shadow. His father was the most famous black speaker in U.S. history. As Martin Luther King the third was being interviewed and he says “that this time in history is an interesting time for us.”
Martin Luther King had a nickname that his parents gave him while he was growing up. The name was “Little Marty.” By the time he was eleven he was expected to take the lead of the household. Martin was the president of the (SCLC). Forty-Seven year old Martin is a big guy, but his voice is kind of boyish. He never wanted to be in the role that his father was in.
Martin is yet to select a career path he likes. He graduated in 1979 at Morehouse College. One of his greatest moments was when he was a politician and he introduces a law that said you must have equal percentages for woman and minorities. As people listen to King the third speak they always wanted to hear his father instead. He always tells people I am not my father.
 
Kay Kaunda
201A
mw 10-12

In the ‘Son of reverend Martin Luther King jr’ the main point of the essay is how Martin Luther King III is living up to his father’s name. Martin Luther King III from a young age had the responsibility of looking after his family. He explains that ‘I was told that I was the man of the house’ (95). He followed his father’s footsteps by joining the SCLC where the author explains how in the office pictures hang of past presidents and how Martin Luther King III ‘portrait is the smallest one’ this shows how much of an impact and how others viewed him. He lacked the ‘electrifying speaking ability’ (96) unlike his sister.

Martin Luther king III is trying to live up to his father’s name, thought he is not like him. The author explains that ‘Martin admits he’s not yet found the role that would capture all of his passion. His father found it, but he himself is still looking’ (98). Because he has not found something that he is passionate about explains the reason why he does not live up to his father’s name. When described to by people close to him they describe him as being ‘smart’ ‘clever and ‘love for basketball. If he was to have as much of a passion for his father’s job like for basketball then we would be able to succeed better in his job.


Marin Luther King III has a big name to live up to, plus with the responsibility of being the ‘man of the house’ (95) I believe that MLK III is proud of what his dad had done and also willing to follow in his footsteps but does not have enough passion as his dad had. ‘Little Marty’ as he was called, as a result of his fathers death as always felt the need to protect his mother, explaining the reason why he is still living at home. If his dad had not been murdered then it is likely he would have pursued something he had more passion in, but he has not control of what happens. It’s something that no matter what your name is we have to deal with.
 
Chesi Brown
English 201B
February 18, 2008



Question: To Martin Luther King lll, Son of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther Kind lll is not like his father. Despite the way they look they are very different. MLK lll wants to be only what his heart is. Not what other expect of you to be. Being morally right help your principle goes into place.

The author think that MLK lll is being pressure and compared to someone who has way more experience an a passion to do what he love. What is wrong with MLK lll doing what he loves or what are desires? His father had a gift a talent. A society is expecting him to be the same. If this was possible it would have been done by now. If not let him fined his way.

Ever one in this world has a choice to be happy and do what they love. MLK lll wants to be a family, a person who can be his self not his father, someone who can enjoy his music and play basketball when he chooses.

It must be frustrating for him to want to be himself. When the world is making him feel is father’s legacy is depending on it. They want to make him feel like if he can’t complete the task he is not appreciative to his father. How shellfish can the world is.

I think MLK lll does have a choice. The choice to follow his heart, just like his father did, and never care about what others think. Martin Luther King lll is now married and expecting his first child. This is something he as dream to do live his on life.
 
Javier Chavez
English 201B 1-3pm

In the essay Martin Luther King III, King had a difficult time trying to shed his father’s shadow. But his name , face, and blood cannot be shed. The main point of this essay is that even though you are born from someone who accomplished great things, it doesn't always mean that you are going to accomplish great things. MLK III is always being reminded of his past and father “Once again, someone is asking him to be ‘Little Marty.’”(pg95)

I think the author is trying to portray MLK III as his own person. I think the author feels sorry for MLK III because he cant live his own life. “He wants to talk about his future, but his past keeps intruding.”(pg95) I think King has had very little choice for the direction that his life is going. Since he is the son of Martin Luther King Jr. everyone expects him to be just like his father, but people are born different. “ Ross describes Martin as an ordinary guy with an extraordinary last name.”(pg98)

I think that MLK III can definitely do something about the way he wants to live his life. He should just take a whole other route than what his father took. He should do the things he wants to do and not what others want him to do. When it comes to making choices we are always capable of making the best choices at that time, but there are obstacles that get in our way of making the best choices.
 
Mike Tran
201B
afternoon class

In the essay MLK III, the main point is telling the people that he is living his dad's life after he is dead. MLK III wanted to live his own life instead of his father. When he was eleven years old he had to be the man of the house.

Because he is son of MLK Jr. I don’t think King III has had much of a choice over the direction of his life, Also after his father’s assassination, whether King wanted or not he was the man of the household and he has to live on his own. It means he accepted the reality and his ability.

He is the son of MLK Jr. He did not have a choice over what he wanted to do with his life. Everyone wanted him to be like his father but he couldnt be. He just wanted to be a normal guy without going to a store and giving signatures out.

In the end he had to follow his dad's footsteps and continue his work. The only thing MLK son can do is try and be happy and proud of being the son of a good man that made history happen. MLK jr will be well known and his child will be force to follow his dad's footsteps.
 
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