'Tell Them About the Dream, Martin'

Clarence B. Jones was interviewed by Tavis Smiley last week. Clarence is an attorney and was an advisor and a speechwriter for Martin Luther King. In this interview Jones talks about the March on Washington and the experience of being there during the famous speech on August 28, 1963. The Dream was not part of King's original speech. Mahalia Jackson, King's favorite gospel singer, called out to Martin that day, "Tell them about the dream, Martin" and he laid out the Dream for that audience of 250,000.  It was not the first time he had spoken about the dream but as Jones says in the Smiley interview, King had the ability adlib and cut and paste pieces of speeches together at the most appropriate time and he did that so well. Kings speeches (printed,  audio and some video) speeches are here.

We all have a dream that lives within us. It is our potential energy waiting to be unleashed into movement, action and kinetic energy.

The interview is 16 minutes. The main section about the dream is 0:45 to 7:00. You can find it on YouTube - search on "TAVIS SMILEY Clarence B. Jones PBS1142"

Prepped and Joyfully Done

After completing an event, a milestone or an activity, it is good to bask in the completion. Our Center has built a theme for 2011 modeled on a book, called 'The Happiness Project'. Our Ministers are presenting quarterly Sunday afternoon workshops where attendees construct their personal happiness project. We completed our first workshop with great success yesterday.
Preparing for my segment I began listening to the Black Eyed Peas song, 'I gotta feeling' and found that these words resonate for my project.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Friday, Saturday, Saturday and Sunday
We keep keep keep keep on going
We know what we say
Party everyday
Party everyday

The words are somewhat simplistic but they represent two things for me- First, being engaged in life happens seven days a week and second, I choose to live every day with the joy and activity of being at a party. And from that feeling I create and enjoy my life.