King Back

Martin Luther King. There’s so much more to say about a man that we as a nation have been in conversation over for nearly sixty years. This isn’t the place to say it. But, let’s get started.

King was complicated. He was a man who advocated for nonviolence in the face of circumstances that enraged many. He dealt with that same anger—stemming from racism he experienced as a teen—while he advocated for nonviolence. He taught love and respect, and very possibly stepped out on his wife. And, since his passing, he’s been near the center of every discussion about race and its effects on our nation as a whole.

In the face of the extrajudicial killings of black men across the country, coupled with the decisions not to indict the police officers responsible, protests have sprung up in cities from sea to shining sea.

For years, we’ve heard folks spout King quotes in the face of black anger over racism. He’s held up as the crux of arguments of respectability. And, in both cases, those people ignore the man’s complexity.

But, this is The History Mixtape, and we don’t deal in heavy shit too often. You guys come here to get tidbits of history and some hood tunes.

So, my question today, ladies and gents, is:

What would MLK listen to if he were leading a protest now?

The Wobble. If MLK were leading a protest today, he’d listen to The Wobble.

To let his friends tell it, he said nigga about as often as Black Thought did in “75 Bars.” He smoked, played pool, and cracked jokes. He was a regular-ass guy in a lot of ways, he just so happened to somehow fashion himself into arguably the greatest man this nation has ever produced. My vote is for Baldwin, but the Kang’s got a strong case, too.

The point is that despite the suit, despite the speeches and the nonviolence, despite the expansive vocabulary, MLK was human. He bled red blood, he loved his kids, loved the music of his day, had his own fears and hangups. We don’t ever hear about the humanity of a man who changed our nation in such a short time.

And you can be certain that the skirting of the basic humanity and blackness of a man as important as King is no mistake. The more oppressed people can see the foibles and imperfections in the men and women we’ve placed on pedestals, the easier it is to aspire to emulate them. And, not to sound like your uncle who asks you why they call it “wild” rice, how lit would it be if we saw those who inspired us as we saw ourselves?

So drink your liquor, say your favorite cuss words, shoot some pool and wobble, baby. ‘Cuz that’s what Martin Luther the King would do if he were with us.