Professor Shares Inside View of MLK

To commemorate the life and legacy of King, UNC journalism Professor Chuck Stone presented the lecture "Remembering Martin ... A Dear Friend" to members of the Chapel Hill Historical Society on Monday. He offered a personal account of his experiences with King by sharing stories and relating King's vision to today's society.

As a journalist for various black newspapers and a White House correspondent during the civil rights movement, Stone often had interaction with King.

As a friend, Stone was impressed with King's genuine determination to help others. Stone said King's thoughts about how he wanted to be eulogized were indicative of King's virtues.

"'I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others,'" Stone quoted King. "'I'd like somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.'"

In his fourth year of presenting the program, Stone emphasized four themes in his speech -- to remember King, to honor his accomplishments, to rejoice in his legacy and to overcome his absence.

Stone attempted to dispel King's idealist reputation, which he felt was most evident in the "I Have a Dream" speech. "The media inundates us with Martin's dream sequence because dreams are harmless, but Martin was a man of action," he said.

After the speech, an audience member asked Stone to discuss the topic of current race relations and how King would feel about the present status of inequalities. Stone praised the progress, noting the increased number of minorities and women in high positions.

But he said the recent presidential election was a small step back in improving race relations. The allegations of unjust voter practices, the return to conservatism and the appointment of conservative Republican John Ashcroft to President-elect George W. Bush's Cabinet are all concerns for Stone. He felt these aspects might be threats to King's vision of racial equality.

"I am disappointed with the trend toward conservatism and the opposition to affirmative action," Stone said.

Sophomore Lawrence Braithwaite said she thought Stone's close relationship with King offered fresh insights on King's life.

"I came to hear about Dr. King from a personal perspective," she said. "(Stone) had personal anecdotes that can't be offered from the press."

Braithwaite said Stone did a good job commemorating King's accomplishments and providing a personal account of his life. "I think it was a good speech, and he did a great job of answering personal questions that even the most well-read people couldn't answer."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.