King Recollections: The Next Step?
(1804)

Initial Air Dates:
Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Author and lecturer Kevin Powell and the New Jersey NAACP President, Keith Jones join Another View to discuss the messages and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Both answer the question "Has Dr. King's message has been able to survive the major shifts in the racial and social politics of America?" Powell and Jones shed light on what they believe are the best approaches to galvanize those from all walks of life to keep Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy alive.

In this special half hour, Kevin Powell discusses Dr. Martin Luther King and the distorted image that many people have about the slain civil rights leader. Powell has been hailed as one of the most powerful voices of his generation. He has authored six books and his writings have appeared in dozens of publications including Newsweek, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and Vibe Magazine. Each year, Powell travels across the country lecturing about Dr. Martin Luther King, the man that he believes has been "reduced to a sound bite." He presents what he calls the human side of Dr. King explaining that making him a real person helps others to identify with the message and the man. Powell expresses his agitation about the Black experience in America and explains how the Civil Rights Movement has morphed into the agenda of those within the hip-hop movement.

Keith Jones continues the conversation about Dr. King's legacy and the challenges present in the twenty-first century. As President of the New Jersey NAACP, Jones has spent the past few years battling issues relating to set-aside programs, housing disparities and racial profiling. Jones addresses how a changing America has forced a new agenda that looks very different from that of the Civil Rights Movement. He also reflects upon the level of violence in today's culture and how far removed we are from Dr. King's message of peace and non-violence. Jones answers the age-old question that many have had about whether or not the organization is effective anymore and the ways in which the group has had to adapt to reach various sects of society in hopes that they will effect change. He also shares the strategies that the group has used to confront the social malignancies that have plagued inner-cities and black communities across the country and asks viewers to step up to the challenges faced by many.