The "MLK: I've Been To The Mountain Top - My Memories Part II" Story

Lancaster's Intelligencer Journal

It was an ordinary day.  The newspapers cried the news to the nation: "Martin Luther King Is Killed by Assassin at Memphis Motel!"  The Lancaster morning newspaper, the "Intelligencer Journal" covered the entire front page with stories about the shooting from telling that the shooter had eluded the police to a headline that said, "It Doesn't Matter What Happens Now."  The evening paper titled "Lancaster New Era" told of the memorial rites that will be held to a story saying "Assassination Starts Wave of Negro Violence."  At Lancaster city's Edward Hand Junior High the students heard noises outside the school right after noon.  Seems the African Americans at the local McCaskey High School had walked out of school and walked the mile or so to the Junior High where they began yelling.  The black leaders called all to the Crispus Attucks Center and to the Conestoga Elks to try and calm the students down and have someone talk with them to remind them how important it was to remember Dr. King's message of keeping the peace. But, there were other adults in the crowd who didn't want to keep the peace and they began burning buildings down as well as a food market in the southeastern end of Lancaster.  

Lancaster's mayor sets curfew for city.

Fire bombs were thrown at other homes and "trash riots" filled the intersections of city streets.  Dr. King preached peace, but many of the African Americans were fed up.  Dr. King was the hope for many blacks and now he was gone.  Much of Washington D.C. was ablaze by April 5 with clouds of smoke rising from the burning buildings and rioting throughout the city.  Army troops were brought in to quell the riots.  In Lancaster Mayor Thomas Monaghan ordered a curfew for the city with police patrolling the streets.  46 people died as riots broke out in 110 United States cities.  It took 23 months to find Dr. King's assassin who was James Earl Ray.  He was found in London after an airline ticket agent recognized his alias Ramon George Sneyd and notified authorities.  So, what has changed due to Dr. King's death, other than the holiday that bears his name as well as the memorial in Washington D.C. that  draws many visitors.  

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I must admit that I thought greater reform would come from his death, but I can't see that.  Why did it take almost 50 years before we elected our first African American President?  And why are so many young black men dying on the streets of our inner cities.  Dr. King's thoughts and teachings on justice, labor, race and peace need to be heard as much today as they did when he was alive. How can we better do that?   A few years after his death I decided to coach baseball and headed to the south end of the city to form a team.  The same area where I first joined a team at the age of 12 that was mostly young African American boys.  I talked the Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster into sponsoring the team and we were one of the best teams in the county with a few of the boys becoming stars at Lancaster city's McCaskey High School. One young boy eventually was drafted by the Minnesota Twins.  The high school I attended is no longer entirely white children but has a variety of nationalities and ethnic groups as students.  I taught there for almost 35 years and still produce their yearbook and enjoy immensely walking the halls taking candid photos that show that feature in the yearbook.  

A panoramic view of the monument for Dr. King in Washington, D.C.

I recently made a visit to the Bethel AME Church in the predominately African American section of the city and wrote a story about my visit.  This was the same church that I wrote about yesterday telling about a white woman from my church, St. James Episcopal, who joined the NAACP and took youth groups from the Bethel AME church on trips to larger cities to hear speakers who spoke about African American issues.  The woman, Mrs. Betty Tompkins felt strongly that the minorities, the poor and the oppressed were being discriminated against by the legal system.  She ended up in debt to the county due to bail bond forfeitures incurred due to her beliefs.  St. James Episcopal Vestry members felt her style of witnessing to her beliefs was counterproductive, but did ask members of the church to help with donations to get her out of debt.  At times there are heroes of all colors who lead the way for all of us to follow by teaching not only civil rights, but Christianity.  Greater things must come to all communities if we expect to continue to thrive as a nation.  Let's hope Dr. King's legacy can come to fruition.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.