The following commentary is from the desk of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts
Clarksville, TN – Like many of you, I was born at a time when our nation was completely changing course in race relations.
It was a painful and sobering backdrop to an otherwise-idyllic childhood. As I grew a little older, I became more aware of the complexities of it all.
In the 1960s, Clarksville was like every city and town in America. It was a complicated decade where those of us who were young, felt safe … and yet there was undeniable tumult all around us.
On the road to equal rights for all Americans, we saw and experienced feelings and images in the 1960s that few of our younger citizens today could even fathom.
Today, while things still aren’t entirely perfect, we’re much closer to being universally regarded as one race – the human race. It took remarkable leadership in the 1960s to set the stage for this.
There was no way that the path to Civil Rights in America was going to be easy, because it was rooted in misinterpretation of the freedoms specified in our U.S. Constitution, and lingering mistreatment of an entire race of people.
The discourse of Civil Rights in America was channeled through a gauntlet of disturbing scenes, and often-unspeakable violence.
And yet, there was this man of peace, standing at the center of it all. I join you in standing in awe of the courage that this required.
There has never been a man who so perfectly and precisely rose to lead at a pivotal and appointed time in our history, as him.
On this third Monday of January, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the activist and minister who embodied justice and equality.
Each year, the King Center sets a theme for the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The theme for this year is, “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.”
Freedom, Justice and Democracy were at the heart of Dr. Martin Luther King’s mission, and the three are inextricably linked. His first book, recounting the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, was titled, “Stride Toward Freedom.”
In it, he muses on the concept of ‘Agape,’ meaning ‘love.’ He says, “Agape does not begin by discriminating between worthy and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess.
It begins by loving others for their sakes. It is an entirely ‘neighbor-regarding concern for others,’ which discovers the neighbor in every man it meets.
In August 1963, Dr. King delivered what is called by many the “I Have a Dream” speech where he cast his vision of the day when racial equality was a standard and not some distant elusive dream, proclaiming, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”
And through it all, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., never abandoned his path of peace and nonviolence.
When he was tragically struck down by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis in 1968, Dr. King left his mission for the rest of us. God created each one of us unique, “in His own image” and gifted us with talents and the strength necessary to make our mark in the world.
We have a responsibility to fulfill that destiny that Dr. King spoke of throughout his short, but well-lived life. We are responsible for our own behavior and our own future. We are also responsible for carrying that “neighbor-regarding concern” for each other.
So, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us take up his mission, together as a uniquely-diverse community.
By working together, and respecting each other, the mission of protecting freedom, justice and democracy is not just mission-possible, it is mission-inevitable.
I wish all Clarksvillians a peaceful, and meaningful remembrance of this national holiday honoring one of the greatest Americans of all time.
In this time of greater equality, appreciation, and respect for all people, I am proud to be your Mayor.
Joe Pitts,
Mayor,
City of Clarksville
