As some of you know, I teach at a Catholic school, and tomorrow we will have a full school mass. The school Priest approached me today to ask for a favor. After mass, there is set to be a short reflection of the works of Martin Luther King Jr. I was asked to give a reflection on how the life of MLK impacted my own life, and it’s impact on our school community. I’m the only black teacher in the school, and only one of two black teachers in the entire Catholic school system in this half of the state. I agreed, but am really struggling with what to say.

Part of me wants to get up and speak wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” or a “Not Your Respectable Negro” T-shirt. My thoughts on race in America is much angrier a position than anyone in this school. But I’m going to be speaking in front of about 1000 people, 950 who will be white. I’m struggling with what exactly to say.

To me, MLK is not seen by most as fully as he should. Schools pussy foot teaching about MLK, Civil Rights, ect. The I have a dream speech is quoted so often by so many, but the most important parts have been ignored. “We have come to our nations capitol to cash a check…a check that has come back insufficient funds…But we refuse to believe that the bank of Justice is bankrupt.” There is a fight and anger behind those words. And after the events of #Ferguson et. al, the fight and the anger is boiling over. I feel I’ve got a duty to express that, but I also don’t feel like fielding complaints over not being a “Respectable Negro”. So I’m writing drafts. Got about 24 hrs to figure it out.