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Black Ink
I See the Promised Land
may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that
we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”
On April 4. 1968. Marlin Lulhcr
King was shot down by an assassin's
biiilcl on the balcony of a mold in Mem
phis. Tennessee.
The night before his assassination,
king told an audience of people that he
was not afraid ol'anyone. for he had "seen
the promised land" of justice and
equality.
This speech appeared on the April 11,
1968 issue ol The Sacamciilo Observer,
a memorial issue to Martin Luther King,
Jr.
“.../ don't know wlial will happen
now. We have i^ot difficult days ahead, hut
it doesn't matter with me, because I've
been to the mountain top. Like anyone
eise, / would like to live a lon^ life. But
I 'm not conceriu'd with that. I Just want
to do God's will, and He has allowed me
to ^o up the mountain.
I see the Promised Laiul. I may iu)t
i’et there with you, but / want you to know
tonight that we as a people will f>et to the
Promised Lcind. I am happy tonight that
I am not worried about anything. / 'm iu>t
fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the
gloiy of the coming of the Lord.
You all kiu>w the story of Rip Van
Winkle. . . . Everyone remembers that
Winkle slept for twenty years. But what
is important is that when he went up on
that mountain to sleep there was a picture
of King George hanging in the town.
When he came down, there was a picture
of George Washington in its place.
Rip Van Winkle slept through a
revolution, hut camu>t afford to remain
asleep. . . .
Our world is as a neighborhood. We
must all learn to live together as brothers
or u'c' will all perish as fools. . . .
Tlu're are two challenges to America.
The challenges are racism and poverty.
In a few weeks a few of us are coming to
Washington to .see if the will to meet these
challenges still lives among us. We are go
ing to bring those who have known long
years of hurt and neglect. We re iu>t com
ing to engage in any historic action. We
are iu)t coming to tear up Washington. We
are coming to engage in dramatic, iu>n-
violeiit action.
We are coming, and we will stay as
long as we have to. . . .
We will suffer and die if we have to.
For I submit, nothing will be done until
people put their bodies and .souls into
this. "
Felicia Washington
Felicia Washington sees unification
among black students as a solution to
many of the civil rights problems on
campus.
“We need to form a network to get
things done more effectively,” said
Washington.
Washington is a senior economics
major from Kenansville, NC. This
21-year old senior serves as vice chair of
the Honor Court, and is a member of
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Alpha
Kappa Psi, a business fraternity.
“We should carry on King’s legacy
by carrying out his dream and not becom
ing too comfortable with the way things
are now,” Washington said.
“We seem to accept our present
situation and not try to change it when we
know things can be better,” she said.
Washington said that she believes that
students need to be more aware of what
goes on on the campus. She also urged
black students to be more supportive of
the black organizations on campus.
“We need to form a bond now that
we can carry on with us after we leave,”
she said.
Washington said that she didn’t have
a very optimistic outlook for the future of
blacks at UNC.
“People see things happening that
they don’t like,” she said. “These peo
ple need to try to change things if they
don’t like what they’re seeing.”
God Give Us Leaders
God give us leaders!
a time like this demands strong
minds, great hearts,
true faith and ready hands;
Leaders whom the lust of ojfice
does not kill;
Leaders whom the spoils of life cannot buy;
Leaders who possess opinions and a will,
Leaders who have honor; Leaders who will
not lie,
Leaders who can stand before a demagogue
and damn his treacherous flatteries
without winking!
Tall leaders, sun around, who live ~
above the fog
in public duty and private thinking.
Martin Luther King, Jr..^Author
(photo by Reubena Whitted)