Talkin bout a Revolution (Season 1, Episode 3)

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The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. probably isn’t who you believe he was. And non-violence almost certainly isn’t what you think it is. We do something people almost never do when they talk about Dr. King. We read what he actually wrote. By listening to this episode, you’ll take a small but important step toward pulling MLK’s image off the garbage heap of saccharine white hagiography.

FYI, the combination of West Virginia internet service and Jørn’s ancient laptop reduced the audio quality, though not terribly.

We would really appreciate it if you shared this episode with a friend … or, perhaps more appropriately, an enemy.

Chapters:

  1. Brain Freeze, 0:00 – 11:10  — Socio-political mindlock is endemic in the United States. What made our gray matter even grayer this week? Shockingly, it’s something politicians said about race. 
  2. Every day is awesomer., 11:11 – 23:58 — Mythology remains a powerful force in our lives. Just ask Colin Kaepernick. The NFL is solving racism with helmet stickers. Kneel before me! How dare you kneel?! Shitty ass quarterbacks abound.
  3. That’s revolution, baby!, 23:59 – 35:10 — MLK wasn’t a communist, but he definitely believed capitalism needed to die. Also, the world ended a while ago so what do we do now?
  4. Trickle-down Metaphysics., 35:11 – 46:20 — Economists are witches. When the Pope says you’re too dogmatic, you might have a problem. And MLK lived about five different lives in just over 39 years. 
  5. This means war!, 46:21 – 58:39 — Non-violence is warfare with enemies, weapons, battles, confrontations, victories, and losses. Get over it.
  6. Don’t like your enemies., 58:40 – 1:15:55 — The feeling of love is emotional bosh. So, what is love? Probably revolution. In any case it’s a lot of fucking work.
  7. God bless the Whole Universe of America., 1:15:56 – 1:21:52 — We’re pretty sure Jesus was white and from somewhere near Lincoln, Nebraska.

Relevant sources:

Francis I. “Evangelii Gaudium.” The Holy See. 24 Nov. 2013, p. 21. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.pdf. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024. Full text

King Jr., Rev. Dr. Martin Luther. “Where do we go from here?” 11th Student Christian Leadership Congress, 16 Aug. 1967, Atlanta, GA. Address. Full text.

—. “Love, Law, and Civil Disobedience.” Washington, pp. 43-53. (Full text not available.)

—. “The Social Organization of Nonviolence.” Washington, pp. 31-4. Full text (not from volume cited here).

—. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The Radical King, edited by Cornel West, Beacon, 2015, pp. 127-45. Full text (not from volume cited here).

—. “Showdown for Nonviolence.” A Testament of Hope, Washington, pp. 64-72. (Full text not available.)

—. “Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom.” Washington, pp. 54-61. Full text (not from volume cited here).

Merton, Thomas. “From Nonviolence to Black Power.” Faith and Violence: Christian Teaching and Christian Practice. University of Notre Dame, 1968, pp. 121-29. (Full text not available.)

—. “Toward a Theology of Resistance.” Faith and Violence: Christian Teaching and Christian Practice. University of Notre Dame, 1968, pp. 3-13. (Full text not available.)

Muste, A.J. “Pacifism and Class War.” The Universe Bends Toward Justice, edited by A.O. Gorman, 1990, pp. 111-6. (Full text not available.)

Newkirk II, Vann R. “The Whitewashing of King’s Assassination.” The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2018, theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/how-to-kill-a-revolution/552518/. Accessed 29 feb. 2024. (Subscription required for full text.)

Washington, James M., editor. A Testament of Hope. Harper Collins, 1986.

Wink, Walter. “Jesus’ Third Way: Nonviolent Engagement.” Engaging the Powers. Fortress, 1992, pp. 175-93. Full text.

We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the issues we discuss, tell us why that thing we said was really dumb, let us know how you’re doing, or send us random comments and questions on anything at all. Chris: [email protected], Jørn: [email protected]

If you need immediate help related to mental health please call or text 988 to connect with a confidential crisis specialist anytime of the day seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org/ to start and chat and find other resources. The Trevor Project offers the same thing with a focus on the LGBTQ community. Call 866-488-7386 or text 678-678.

Logo by Dave Sharpe

Music: “Life of a Wandering Wizard” by Serge Quadrado Music.

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