Seattle's MLK Parade... Help!!!

[AKA_Monet]

I posted the following email sent to me because the MLK Parade planning committee is Seattle is "booty"...

Listed below are the "bootyrific" Themes for the 2007 MLK Parade. Some of the suggested themes are "decent", but others are, well... BOOTY!

Help!

No one in Seattle supports the MLK Parade!!! And it's not because of the janky weather--it's because the parade planning is BOOTY!!!

The reason why I posted this topic here is because my father is one of your fraternity brothers, and I emailed these themes to him and he was pissed...

My hope is that the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. can email blast all their listserves to take "corrective actions" so this lunacy can cease and desist.

If you have further questions toward me, email me.

If these themes make you livid, email "homie" below...

In Greekdom,

Dr. AKA Monet

MLK Committee Members:
At our last meeting, we discussed possible themes for this year's event. Here are the ideas that came out of that discussion. Please review for the next meeting. If I am not including one or I incorrectly listed any of these, please let me know so that I can correct them and send them out before the next meeting on October 24th.

• Unification
• No Human Being is Illegal: Human & Civil Rights for All
• Peace & Justice for All
• Racism is on the Rise
• Solidarity for Human Rights & Economic Justice
• 9-11: Truth to Policy Now
• End Hate Without Debate or Face a Fascist State
• Peace & Justice Knows No Borders
• Open Borders, Open Minds, Peace & Justice in Our Times
• There Are Alternatives to War, Incarceration, and Poverty: Revolution Now!
• Remembering the Dream
• Insufficient Funds: American People Write the Check
• When Are We Going to Start Living the Dream?: Stop Racism & Poverty
• Remember the Dream for You and Me: Be the Change You Want to See
• Global Solidarity for Human Rights & Economic Justice
• Tell Truth to Poverty--Now!
• Remembering Dr. King--Where Do We Go From Here?

Nick Allen
(206) 296-0321
nick.allen@metrokc.gov

[ladygreek]

I think I am missing something here. What is the issue?

[Professor]

Are you on the committee. Perhaps you can help shape the direction of the planning. I don't like any of the themes and would hope the folk in a city with well educated folk as Seattle can come up with something better.

[shinerbock]

Obviously I'm not black or an Alpha Phi, but the ones like "remembering the dream" seem to be the best choices. The other ones probably will lead to a more negative type theme, and while I'm no scholar on the ideals of MLK, I don't really think that was his message.

[TonyB06]

While I think some of the topics could be more focused, I didn't exactly see the problem. Maybe if you shared a little more context, or why no one in Seattle supports the parade, I could better get the source of your disagreement?

[AKA_Monet]

Here's an update of the lastest info from the last MLK Parade Planning Meeting...

Please read below:

MLK Commmittee Members:
At last week's meeting, we continued to work on possible themes for this year's event. Below are the additional suggestions that members made so that we can have a good discussion and finalize a theme at our next meeting on November 14th. If I'm missing any or incorrectly listing any, please email me so I can correct it and forward it on to the entire group. Thanks.

• 1. Remembering the Dream: Peace & Justice For All
  2. Let Us Not Wallow in the Valley of Despair
  3. Race & Justice Have No Borders
  4. No Borders for Peace & Justice
  5. Racism, Poverty, War: Katrina, Iraq No More!
  6. War on Homelessness
  7. Our Choice: Racism, Poverty, War or Equality, Justice & Nonviolence
  8. Remembering the Dream, Remember Dr. King!
  9. Insufficient Funds: We Need Schools Not Guns
  10. Remembering Dr. King: Solidarity for Human Rights and Economic Justice
  From Schools to Future
  11. Solidarity for Peace, Human Rights, and Economic Justice
  12. Remembering Dr. King: Where Do We Go From Here?
  13. Remembering Dr. King: Where Do We Go From Here?: Racism is on the Rise
  14. Remembering Dr. King: Where Would We Go From Here?

Nick Allen
(206) 296-0321
nick.allen@metrokc.gov

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by Professor

Are you on the committee. Perhaps you can help shape the direction of the planning. I don't like any of the themes and would hope the folk in a city with well educated folk as Seattle can come up with something better.

I attempted to serve on this committee. But the planning was so "wack" that I left it because I had better things to do. Meetings were "shouting matches" about things I just do not have the lack of intelligence to discuss...

Not everyone in Seattle is educated...

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

While I think some of the topics could be more focused, I didn't exactly see the problem. Maybe if you shared a little more context, or why no one in Seattle supports the parade, I could better get the source of your disagreement?

I showed these comments to my father... (An old skool Alpha man). He is the Western Region Life Membership Chair... He was pissed off and told me different will be used...

Folks fail to support the parade because the organizers are confrontational for reasons that go beyond medicated comprehension... As you can see from the above list of some titles, they are unwilling to let go of some thoughts...

Most Seattle folks have NEVER seen another cities MLK Parade. If they did, the Seattle folks would feel...

I have a philosophical disagreement. I think the MLK Parade should be about empowering people to be the change or to live to make it better for others. I think that MLK Day should be service-oriented. A day on, rather than a day-off for the white sale at Macy's.

But as folks read these themes, very few of them discuss any of the aforementioned concepts.

I have very little time in my schedule, but somehow, I keep getting the emails... Aside from finding them quaint and amusing, there may be questions that "certain powerful people in Seattle" are beginning to have about MLK Day and its "validity"...

Justification as a holiday is what is at stake here...

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

I showed these comments to my father... (An old skool Alpha man). He is the Western Region Life Membership Chair... He was pissed off and told me different will be used...

Folks fail to support the parade because the organizers are confrontational for reasons that go beyond medicated comprehension... As you can see from the above list of some titles, they are unwilling to let go of some thoughts...

Most Seattle folks have NEVER seen another cities MLK Parade. If they did, the Seattle folks would feel...

I have a philosophical disagreement. I think the MLK Parade should be about empowering people to be the change or to live to make it better for others. I think that MLK Day should be service-oriented. A day on, rather than a day-off for the white sale at Macy's.

But as folks read these themes, very few of them discuss any of the aforementioned concepts.

I have very little time in my schedule, but somehow, I keep getting the emails... Aside from finding them quaint and amusing, there may be questions that "certain powerful people in Seattle" are beginning to have about MLK Day and its "validity"...

Justification as a holiday is what is at stake here...

First off, please extend fraternal salutations on my behalf to your father (I attended a Western regional convention in Denver about 2 or 3 years ago and the brothers of the Far West did it up right.)

If the parade is constantly non-supported by Seattle's citizenry, you would think its organizers, out of their love for the time-honored principles Rev. King espoused, would welcome new ideas and new insights. It seems that operational control of this committee is where the change needs to start.

A few questions about the committee... Who sponsors it? In your opinion is its' make up sufficiently diverse? Is this a city-sponsored committee or a grass-roots type thing? Where are my Seattle bruhs and the AKA sorors; have their voices been heard?

In your response to Professor I noted your frustration with the "wackness" of the committee. I can understand it, but as I'm sure you know walking away may be what they want you to do.

If they won't hear you, then they must feel you. Maybe it's time for a competing, more focused MLK event? Know anybody, or any groups out Seattle way that might want to set something like this off?

Tenacity, my sister, tenacity.....

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

First off, please extend fraternal salutations on my behalf to your father (I attended a Western regional convention in Denver about 2 or 3 years ago and the brothers of the Far West did it up right.)

If the parade is constantly non-supported by Seattle's citizenry, you would think its organizers, out of their love for the time-honored principles Rev. King espoused, would welcome new ideas and new insights. It seems that operational control of this committee is where the change needs to start.

A few questions about the committee... Who sponsors it? In your opinion is its' make up sufficiently diverse? Is this a city-sponsored committee or a grass-roots type thing? Where are my Seattle bruhs and the AKA sorors; have their voices been heard?

The Central Area Motivation Program mainly organizes the current MLK Parade.

Back in the day, the folks who organized such an event were inclusive. But now, it seems that you have some "folks" who have an "agenda".

As far as any of the D9 involvement, that is my question. There may be alienation or total obstruction of their chance to participate.

Moreover, this not the kind of thing that most "traditional" groups in this city would fathom participation. Don't ask me why? I've only lived here for 3 years.

Originally Posted by TonyB06

In your response to Professor I noted your frustration with the "wackness" of the committee. I can understand it, but as I'm sure you know walking away may be what they want you to do.

If they won't hear you, then they must feel you. Maybe it's time for a competing, more focused MLK event? Know anybody, or any groups out Seattle way that might want to set something like this off?

Tenacity, my sister, tenacity.....

I chose to walk away. I was not highly involved in that endeavor at the time because I already have a hectic schedule...

The first and only meeting I attended had some lunatic bucktoothed fat woman totally demeaning a skinny old man about what I could never determine...

As far as "hearing" me, I am unconcerned regarding that. But, it seems that there is "concern" from "some people" because the themes they have above seem to have changed dramatically...

There are other events that out-compete this Parade, such as the UW MLK Day On...