In a story from Memphis on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King in that city, ABC's Steve Osunsami acknowledged great economic progress for black citizens with “a definable black middle class,” but warned “there are still large disparities.” He then featured a man at the anniversary events who insisted “we're waiting for progress” followed by Jesse Jackson using the solemn occasion to complain about the Iraq war and tax cuts:
We are freer but less equal. To that extent, we spend $3 trillion on the war in Iraq and give tax breaks to the wealthy. You have this body of poverty, growing poverty in our cities. And our response to it is what? First-class jails and second-class schools.
The Reverend Bill Kyle, who was with King when he was murdered, rued that “now that we have the right to go to a school, we need the money to pay the tuition,” before Osunsami concluded by agreeing King's dream of equality remains unfulfilled: “Not quite what Dr. King had dreamed. But some dreams take a mighty long time to realize.”
Transcript of the story on the Friday, April 4 World News on ABC anchored by George Stephanopoulos:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Dr. King was in Memphis to march with the city's striking sanitation workers. At the time, they were making $1.80 an hour. Their work was dirty and degrading, two had been crushed to death by faulty equipment. The strikers still living will never forget King. Nor will those on the motel balcony that evening. Here's Steve Osunsami.ARCHIVAL NEWS AUDIO: The shot apparently came from an apartment building directly across the street.
STEVE OSUNSAMI: Those who were there, will never forget.
JESSE JACKSON: I remember Andy Young feeling his pulse. I remember Billy Kyle putting a sheet here to at least cover the blood flow.
REVEREND BILL KYLE: I rushed to his side. There was a gaping hole in the right side of his face. There was a bigger wound under his shirt.
JACKSON: I was in trauma then. I'm in pain today. It hurts me. A man 39 years old, who did so much to make America and the world better.
OSUNSAMI: Today, we went back to visit the Memphis garbage workers who dared to stand up for higher wages and equal treatment. Alen Sanders is still on the job and says he'll never forget the struggle. Only the black workers picked up the city's garbage.
ALEN SANDER: Had to work all day. Sleet, snow, ice. You couldn't stop. Couldn't take a break. Couldn't do anything.
OSUNSAMI: In time, the sanitation workers did get their raise. That moment on the balcony, the real start for the battle of economic and not just racial equality. Some of Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled. There is a definable black middle class. And a whole generation of black children who've never had to live the struggle of the 1960s. But four decades later and there are still large disparities.
OSUNSAMI TO A GROUP: How much progress, or how little progress, do you think we've made in 40 years?
DEAN BUTLER: I think it's more of a sign of hope. Not necessarily progress. We're waiting for progress.
JACKSON: We are freer but less equal. To that extent, we spend $3 trillion on the war in Iraq and give tax breaks to the wealthy. You have this body of poverty, growing poverty in our cities. And our response to it is what? First-class jails and second-class schools.
KYLE: Now that we have the right to go to a school, we need the money to pay the tuition.
OSUNSAMI: Not quite what Dr. King had dreamed. But some dreams take a mighty long time to realize. Steve Osunsami, ABC News, Memphis.
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Comments Policy
I wonder how much money
April 4, 2008 - 20:33 ET by fitzfongI wonder how much money Jesse Jackson threatened to shake down ABC for in order to get his ubiquitous mug on the air...not that ABC needed the extra incentive to bring that vacuous windbag on their network.
Nothing has done more to
April 4, 2008 - 20:44 ET by MidAmericaNothing has done more to elevate the legacy of Dr. King than comparing him to the second rate leaders that have carried on after his death.
We are freer but less
April 4, 2008 - 20:41 ET by NewsbusterbrownWe are freer but less equal.
At least he realizes that African-Americans are freer.
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964)
We are freer but... we are
April 4, 2008 - 20:51 ET by MrShyWe are freer but... we are not all rich.
We are a long way from all being rich.
Why aren't all blacks wealthy?
You know what? God DAMN America!
:p
* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change
MrShy
April 4, 2008 - 23:27 ET by UpwayTOO FUNNY!!! Great comment!
So, so tiring
April 4, 2008 - 21:11 ET by Mica the MagnificentLet's see.
Name me one profession blacks do not participate in?
Times up.
Then I guess the opportunity and education is out there, some take advantage of it, and some don't.
Jesse, you're a bore.
End of story.
same old song
April 4, 2008 - 21:15 ET by jefflebowskiSame old tired negro song. Verse 59,523,896.
Very mature
April 5, 2008 - 14:14 ET by angryafricanVery mature of you. This is NwsBusters right? Bust the news and try less racial namecalling next time. Attack JJ for his views. No need for namecalling.
It's comments like that that
April 5, 2008 - 15:24 ET by fitzfongIt's comments like that that make Jesse Jackson more relevant and credible than he should be. You embarrass yourself.
gimme....
April 4, 2008 - 21:35 ET by bigpapagimme, gimme, gimme,,,
I'm not equal... whitey beats me down.. gimme...
we're almost there... gimme...
don't talk about my millions.. gimme...
give me more.... someone some time was bad to a black man... gimme...
I'm so sick of this crap I could puke...
True hypocrite
April 4, 2008 - 23:04 ET by badger."Show me the money." Money, money, and more money, this is the only thing Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton can think about. I am in my mid-forties and I know that Jackson and Shapton have been around for a long time. In my recollection, Jackson since the 60's and Sharpton since the late 70's early 80's. In all this time, I don't ever recall seeing or hearing either of these so called self professed holy men of God preaching the Word from the pulpit. To be quite honest, I don't even remember seeing the Good Book( Bible) in their money grubbing hands. I am confident that if one were to Google, one could probably come up with some old film or picture archives, but why waste the time. I just don't recall seeing this with either of these race-baiters.
Ever hear of work?
April 4, 2008 - 23:15 ET by CobraMan"Now that we have the right to go to a school, we need the money to pay the tuition."
Ever hear of working for money? That's how I paid for my tuition. I started working for minimum wage too, ya know. No one paid for my tuition. It took me 15 years of continual employment, including 3 years in the military, to save enough money to even think about attending college, and I didn't even attend a first class school. I worked throughout my college years, and even then it took me an additional ten years to pay off my student loans. That's what it takes in the real world. There’s no such thing as a free ride and there never has been.
It's funny that, just two or three generations ago, most parents worked hard and saved their money just for the chance that their kids could attend a college and get a good job and a better life, no matter what color their skin was. They understood that it takes hard work and determination to achieve your dreams. That understanding was taught from parent to child throughout our entire history. Yet it seems the latest generation hasn't learned that basic lesson of life.
I wonder what happened to the latest generation? Did they suddenly forget the basic values and beliefs of their ancestors, or did they reject them out of hand for personal reasons?
CM - I guess they found out
April 4, 2008 - 23:52 ET by mom_roxCM - I guess they found out that there are Government Fairy Godmothers (and a few Godfathers) who will bail them out if they make foolish choices.
I was actually very surprised and pleased to hear Barack Obama talk about parental responsibility during a campaign stop in Texas. I haven't heard him mention personal responsibility, though parental responsibility is a good start. Sadly, I haven't heard anything similar since (from any of the candidates).
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw, 1944
Jackson and Sharpton are
April 5, 2008 - 00:05 ET by jdhawkJackson and Sharpton are sorry excuses for human beings aside from the fact they happend to be black. The sad situation that black people find themselves is in the constant harrangue of these two, at least in subtext if not fact, that their race isn't smart or determined enough and that they are in constant need of someone's assistance. In other words, if you are black you are automatically a victim. And, if you don't wear your victimhood on your sleeve, your aren't "down with the struggle."
If I were black, I would be pissed every time they uttered their nonsense.
By the way, that garbage er . . . sanitation workers strike was a fabulous success. Now, they make more than teachers!!!
→ Hawk
April 5, 2008 - 00:16 ET by Cool ArrowThat's because garbage collectors clean up trash.
♣ a seal
Ahhhh, Barack Obama and
April 5, 2008 - 00:15 ET by sixgunAhhhh, Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson Obama???
Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty teeth.-George Washington
Pundit does not equal leader
April 5, 2008 - 05:15 ET by vaboxrboyFirst, I am appalled by both sides on this issue. Jessie Jackson and the rest maybe should've just stuck to the legacy message on this, but he was no different than O'Reilly who on his show last night spent 30 seconds on the message of legacy and 5 minutes bashing Reverand Wright.
All of the people who are pushed or force their way into the media are pundits. No one is lineing up to see them in any type of leadership symposium or even electing them into government. The real leaders of this effort aren't on television.
Secondly, the attitude I see reflected in these posted comments makes me weep. Most of us are truly unaware of the systematic problems that exisit and how there are many factors in solving social issues.
There are no quick fixes and I know as long as I keep seeing these awful knee jerk reactions I know that the change will come ever so slowly if at all.
boxrboy
April 5, 2008 - 05:24 ET by Cool ArrowNo mention of MSM treatment of John McCain getting booed for admitting what he now says was a mistake?
Jessie Jackson is a pundit? Seems like he and Sharpton both have run for political office.
I could be wrong.
♣ a seal
I think I made my point...
April 5, 2008 - 10:29 ET by vaboxrboyBoth sides were bad in the presentation and didn't present any dignity or real observation of Dr. King's sacrifice. I didn't want to drag up the business withMcCain, but that's only bringing up more bad behavior. My aim is to point out that it's all tripe and we watch and wait for every little gruesome morsel to say, gotcha!
Yes, I consider both Sharpton and Jackson as pundits because they are well aware, after having failed runs for office that no one wants them in ANY office. Now they are paid for their oftentimes rediculous prattle. Shaprton even has his own show where he discusses issues in a barber shop setting.
The clueless media
April 5, 2008 - 06:25 ET by sms5217What universe is the media in when, like clockwork, they trot out the no-good reverends Jackson and Sharpton every MLK day and other historical black days? Do they yet not realize that these two racial jackals are anathema to every decent non-black person?
These race hustlers are not about equality, about raising the living standards for black people, about anything having to do with getting ahead in society, about education and self-reliance and self-responsibility.
On the contrary, these no good jackals are hustlers seeking to line their pockets with shake-down money. They are con-men seeking to get on corporate boards and get beer distributorships in exchange for not calling for a boycott of some corporation.
Yes, Jackson is not seeking to lead people out of misery and despair, but to lead himself into the wealthy class by hustling his way in.
Jackson and Sharpton are scums of American society, and the MSM is derelict in placing them on TV so that they may assault and pollute our eyes and ears. Despicable thugs.
Trial lawyers are the scum of the earth
A despicable character
April 5, 2008 - 12:04 ET by pocomocoJackson is primarily responsible for turning King’s dream into a nightmare.
King’s movement, patterned after Gandhi’s non-violence movement, was high-jacked by Jackson many years ago and is now patterned more after Al Capone, infamous for acquiring money and power through intimidation and extortion. Can you say NASCAR?
Because he has been anointed as a ‘black leader’ by the white-guilt MSM and set him up as the ‘moral authority on race’, his methods are never questioned as he leads blacks, not toward fulfillment, but down the path to hating ‘whitey’ with the MSM’s tacit approval.
King must be spinning in his grave.
Jesse Jackson...blah blah
April 5, 2008 - 14:27 ET by bigtimerJesse Jackson...blah blah blah....mumble...blah blah blah....blackmail some more companies....blah blah blah....pay for your illegitimate child and mistress via Rainbow/Push...blah blah blah....
We are supposed to take one word seriously from this guy....and his ilk including the hypocrite Sharpton...
I for one am tired of all of this BS....way past sick and tired...decades of this is enough..we now have a black racist that spews his hatepreach from the pulpit and this is conveniently forgotten in the msm intentionally for the love of their new fearless leader who defends this man to this day.... even though they omit everything a person/journalist should be looking into...try as they might people are not going to ignore this or forget it either.
Obama may be who the msm think is going to be the next Prez....Not gonna' happen though....
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill
Sorry to have offended
April 5, 2008 - 21:09 ET by jefflebowskiI assume you two only are offended by the word "negro." I notice that you did not find offensive the word "whitey" found in other posts. I am not politically correct and am damn sick of people like you trying to impose it on me.
Angryblack, I don't care what you or Fiz think. My beliefs come from a lifetime of experience of watching blacks causing 99.9% of all of their problems on their own and blaming it on whites. It got old a long time ago. If you two don't like it, tough!
Who's offended by the word
April 5, 2008 - 21:18 ET by balboaWho's offended by the word "Whitey"? I don't find that offensive.
It's fine to be frustrated, but I don't think you have to be insulting, too.
Who is frustrated?
April 5, 2008 - 21:45 ET by jefflebowskiBalboa, who said I was frustrated? As for insulting? The two posters that responded to my first post didn't say what bothered them so. I assume it was the word "negro." If that is so offensive, I suggest that the United Negro College Fund be encouraged to change its name.
My apologies. I took the
April 5, 2008 - 21:58 ET by balboaMy apologies. I took the phrase "damn sick" as conveying a certain amount of frustration with negroes.
No problem
April 5, 2008 - 22:04 ET by jefflebowskiNo problem. Not frustrated, just damn sick of political correctness.