Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Dear Alveda King, your lie about Bayard Rustin will NOT go unanswered!

Now Alveda King is lying about Bayard Rustin.
Dear Ms. Alveda King,

Bayard Rustin
I have watched your "career" as an "activist" and a "leader" over the years with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. I was amused as to how you were suddenly anointed as a voice for the black community simply because you are Martin Luther King, Jr's niece.

And I was a bit annoyed at your nasty attack on Coretta Scott King two years ago when you implied that you knew MLK's heart better than her because you "had his DNA and she didn't."

However, your recent comments have led me to a state that goes beyond annoyance. Comments you made about the late Bayard Rustin make it necessary that I call you out for your blatant dishonesty.

You said:

"The 21st century homosexual lobby likes to point to the professional relationship between my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bayard Rustin, his openly homosexual staffer who left the movement at the height of the campaign. Rustin attempted to convince Uncle M. L. that homosexual rights were equal with civil rights. Uncle M. L. did not agree, and would not attach the homosexual agenda to the 20th century civil rights struggles. So Mr. Rustin resigned.

I would like to know where you received your information concerning this claim and until you show this information, I feel safe in calling you out as a boldfaced liar.

According to several sources, most specifically the excellent book Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio, Rustin resigned because prominent black leaders, specifically the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, had gotten jealous of King's influence and were going to accuse him and the openly gay Rustin of being lovers.

It was some of these same leaders who did not want Rustin to have anything to do with the 1963 March on Washington, but labor leader A. Philip Randolph insisted that Rustin be involved. And as you SHOULD know, this was a good move because Rustin was the architect of that successful march.

Furthermore Rustin began speaking about gay issues in the 1980s at the behest of his partner, Walter Naegle. This was over two decades after MLK's death.

Ms. King, you like to talk about the so-called sin of homosexuality, but let me remind you that the Bible also says something against bearing false witness.

And between me and you, from one African-American to another, I would personally like to know just what constitutes you as a genuine leader in the black community?

To my knowledge, no one has taken the initiative to ask you that question, so I would like to. Do you really think that your relationship to one of the greatest American leaders of the 20th century makes you a leader?

I don't think so. On my father's side of my family, I am a distant cousin to the rapper Lil Bow Wow, but at no time have I rushed to a record company demanding a contract.

Ms. King, it takes more than familial connections to make one a leader. Allow me to school you on the qualities.

A leader sacrifices for others.

A leader does not seek the spotlight.

A leader works his or her fingers to the bone for a cause.

A leader inspires others.

A leader puts him or herself on the line more than once even though success of the cause may not be assured.

Bayard Rustin had all of these qualities. You have none of them. Ever since you have shown your face in the public arena, the only person you seemed to have cared about is yourself. You inspire no one. You do the least amount of work. And worst of all, none of your fame comes from anything you have done, but only due to the fact that you had the good fortune to be related to Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you didn't have this familial relation, no one would care about anything you say.

So please stop lying to yourself as to your status and your impact. You have neither.

And while I detest how you are reaping the benefits of your uncle's hard work, I have nothing to do with it.

BUT I will be damned if I say nothing while you besmirch the name of a man whose hard work put you in your pseudo-prominent situation.

Bayard Rustin was a leader in every sense of the word.

You aren't. And while you may have King's DNA, you are sorely lacking in his integrity or love.

You go and make your money, now.

Consider yourself checked and dismissed.



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18 comments:

Donna R. DAvis said...

Well done, SIr. Well done!

glendenb said...

Max Blumenthal had this to say about Alveda King in his book Republican Gomorrah:

"Although Alveda King admired her father’s fight for racial justice, her own crusade, kindled by the traumatic personal crises she endured, represented a rupture in her family’s tradition of social justice. A self-described “post-abortive mother,” King claimed to have undergone an “involuntary abortion” in the immediate wake of the Roe v. Wade decision, and then another one prompted by violent threats from the baby’s father. Afterward, she became consumed by night-mares, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunctions. “I felt angry about both abortions, and very guilty about the abortion I chose to have,” King recounted. “The guilt made me very ill.” location 2351

Her ability to weave her father and uncle’s lilting rhetoric into the Christian right’s reactionary narrative earned her the recognition of movement leaders.

Like so many others belonging to the conservative culture of personal crisis, King traded in the moral glamour of her family’s reputation for the lucre and emotional euphoria of culture war activism, medicating her anxiety along the way."

She's an ideal spokesperson for the religious right - a black woman, daughter of a legendary civil rights family, she assuages all kinds right wing concerns. They see her as someone who can immunize them against accusations of racism.

B Snow said...

How can you make sure she actually sees this post?

What lengths of denial she must go to in order to sleep at night. I'd feel sorry for her if she weren't working so hard to hurt so many people.

BlackTsunami said...

I tweeted it to her. Really though it doesn't matter if she sees it or not. As long as a lot of other folks do and they have ;p

designing wally said...

Brilliant.

I'm going to send people over.

Anonymous said...

Bayard Rustin was a leader in every since of the word. (Correction it is, in every sense of the word not since of the word)

Do you know how many people showed up for the NOM Summer of Hate Tour in Atlanta to hear Velveeta (yes she is fake just like Velveeta is fake cheese)to hear Velveeta speak? Now remember NOM Hyped this. They said how significant it was to snare DOCTOR Velveeta King and how this was going to be a huge rally. Ok, s-i-x-t-e-e-n people showed up. With NOM PR machine and her supposed "influence" 16 people stopped by to listen. And all of them appeared to be passersby who were attracted to the wonderful Gospel Singer who sang before Velveeta spoke. There were 256 protestors.

If Velveeta tweets you back you make sure and ask her where she got her Doctorate from. She got it from her alma mater, some dip shit school I don't remember the name of, who doesn't EVEN HAVE a PhD Program.I haven't checked, is she still putting Dr. in front of her name? POS Fame whore.

~StraightGrandmother

BlackTsunami said...

Thank you, Wally. By all means please do ;p

Buffy said...

Beautiful!

TheDanLovingood said...

This King is insane. Bernice and MLK III aren't much better. All three and the King Center are a disgrace to Dr. King's message of acceptance. They do not hold a patent or franchise on civil rights. I believe Dr. King would stand with Obama on Marriage Equality if he were alive today. Both John Lewis and Julian Bond agree.

mikenola said...

Psuedo-Doctor King has an HONORARY Doctorate of Laws from a Benedictine College called Saint Anselm college in New Hampshire.

Which is a hoot considering who Saint Anselm is/was and what he is famous for.

He crafted the first "Ontological Argument" for the existence of god.

His "argument" was that since God was greatest being that ever existed in the MIND, he therefore must live in reality. Because if he didn't live in reality then another being/god would be the greatest being ever.

sound familiar? it should, it is the backbone of all claims by religious zealots who want YOU to obey THEIR god as defined by how THEY view gods rules.

God exists because I have faith that he exists and if you don't agree with me, God will be angry and send terrible things on to your life.

It's the perfect school and mythical degree for her.

Unknown said...

Power hungry individuals spouting untruths to suit themselves and their dreary agendas - my, my whatever next! Exposing these charlatans is righteous work. xxx

Reed Boyer said...

execumOh, you ARE in top form, sir. Bravos and kudos all around for this one. Hope it goes all kinds of viral.

tucsonbarbara said...

As Rachel would say, "Best New Thing Today!" (Okay, it was yesterday, but I just read it today.)

I hope it's okay that I sent the link to JoeMyGod.

Unknown said...

GREAT POST. I hope she does reply. Should be interesting.

Chris said...

Bravo sir, Bravo

Elke said...

Fabulous post, thank you for taking the time to write it.

One remark about what mikenola wrote: Anselm was most famous amongst his peer for his desire to find rational foundations for every single claim, including (and especially) religious one. Which is the exact opposite of what this woman does. Anselm would never have simply referred to the Bible to proof anything.

Rob K said...

Phenomenal. I really hope someone she knows has the courage to actually have her read this.

Anonymous said...

More shameful distortions from Alveda