I was thinking of using a different quote today but when saw this one come up I liked the idea of recreating the image again this year, as I did in 2011 and 2009.
This is my favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quote because, to me, it embodies the rock bottom truth behind it all. It doesn’t matter what boat you came on, what matters is that you are here now and you are an American (or want to be one). If you are, then you are in the same boat I am in. I want the boat to sail well and true and I believe you do too. I will work with you to make that happen and I hope you will work with me. I don’t care what your skin color is. I don’t care if your heritage is African or Albanian. I don’t care if you are a pauper or a princess. I just care that you want the best America possible, one that lives out the meaning of its creed. We all want that, right?
_________________
Drawing by Marty Coleman
Quote By Martin Luther King, Jr.
_________________
This drawing, and all my drawings, are for sale. Email me at marty@napkindad.com if you are interested.
I love this quote so much I have drawn it twice! I drew it back in 2009 in honor of Martin Luther King Day and have redrawn it again today.
I love the simple truth of it. No matter if you are black, white, mixed, brown, red, or polka dot. No matter if you got here by ship, boat, skiff, skow, raft, ocean liner, airplane, river, car, bike or feet. No matter if you are rich, poor, speak english, spanish, chinese, french, farsi, hindi, or any other language. No matter whether you are old, young, male, female, straight, gay, tall, short, fat, thin, able or challenged.
No matter what, you are now in the boat called America. Help row it, ok?
“We may have all come on different ships, but we are in the same boat now.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and in anticipation of the Inauguration of Barack Obama I offer this truth.
It does NOT matter what boat you or your ancestors came on. It does NOT matter if the boat was named Mayflower and arrived 389 years ago from England or if it was named Diego and arrived 28 years ago from Cuba.
It does NOT matter if they didn’t take a boat, but walked across the land bridge from Siberia over 10,000 years ago.
What matters is the boat you are in NOW. All I know is that I share that boat with you. I want it to be a peaceful, prosperous, creative, purposeful and fun journey. But above all I want it to be filled with love.
Read MLK, Jr’s quotes enough and you see that his guiding principle was, first and foremost, love.
“He Who Accepts Evil Without Protesting Against It Is Really Cooperating With It.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
The easiest thing in the world to do is to sit back and do nothing.
But it really is true that if we want ‘evil’ to diminish we must not just hope it goes away, we must actually speak and act against it. I am not talking just about the big protests or letter writing campaigns you can be part of (I don’t do well in either of those categories either). I am talking about standing up for what is right with the person right in front of you.
The courage to confront someone who cuts someone down because they have a disability, or are of another race or nationality. The willingness to defend someone who isn’t there when they are talked about. The desire to stop innuendo or rumors in their tracks when you hear them. Those are the real day to day work of changing the world to be a better place. That is what defeats evil right where you live.
For those of you who worry about ‘confrontation’ or what my friends will think, then there is no easy way around it. You will likely lose a friend and have a confrontation. But if you practice speaking the truth in love, with a kind heart towards those who said the offensive statement, you can often become closer and more of a friend to the person, not less.
In the end, confrontation or none, you will become a person you and others can be proud of.
