Urban Thought Collective

April 4th 1968. I will never forget that day in my life. My mother ran into the house crying hysterically. Although just a child, I knew something horrible had happened. I had never seen mama in this manner. What ever was going on with her had me scared. She blurted out through tears that Dr. King had been killed. I was too young to even know who Dr. King was. I had never heard of him. At first, I thought he must have been the doctor that delivered me or a doctor from the clinic our family went to. I did not realize until I got older that Dr. King was one of the greatest leaders to walk the planet.

Forty years after Dr. King’s assassination, there were several tributes held in his memory. During one tribute, I saw someone else with tears in his eyes. Reverend Jesse Jackson, who worked for King and was present when he was assassinated. I was moved to tears because of the memory of my mother’s pain forty years ago.

When I saw Jackson tear up, I felt disdain because I felt it was insincere. As reported in Ken Timmerman’s book entitled ”Shakedown,” when King was killed, Jackson’s first thought was to smear his shirt with Dr. King’s blood. He proceeded to appear in Chicago the next day on several news programs wearing the same shirt he deliberately smeared with the blood as if he was the heir to King’s movement.

Don’t get me wrong, Reverend Jackson has done a lot of important work this past forty years, so I am not bashing him. Yet, when we remember the impact of the assassination, Jackson’s actions are inexcusable, and people have forgotten that part. Many King insiders say that King did not trust Jackson. Forty years later, I can understand why. Jackson has been perceived as an opportunist and an ambulance chaser. For the last fifteen years, I have personally seen Jackson come not just into Los Angeles but also across the nation uninvited sticking his nose in issues and causes that did not need him. Los Angeles leaders, such as Assembly member Karen Bass, Tavis Smiley, Judge Greg Mathis, John Bryant, myself and many others are battling on the front lines trying to save lives by mentoring our youth.

Jackson is now a multi millionaire having used and turned the King legacy into a lucrative income for himself, family, and cronies. I believe part of King’s greatness was his willingness to mentor and help develop leaders such as Andy Young, Congressman John Lewis, and Jesse Jackson.

Jackson Sr. has not mentored anybody for leadership in his life (his son Congressman Jackson Jr. cannot be included). Jackson has to realize that until he reaches out to help train and pass the baton of leadership to the youth, as King was willing to do for him, he is part of the problem that King fought against and sacrificed his life for.

Najee Ali is Executive Director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E, a national civil rights organization that advocates for human rights of oppressed people regardless of race, gender or religion. He was selected by Wave Newspapers and Our Weekly Newspaper as one of the 25 most influential black leaders in Los Angeles. More information at: www.islamichope.org