The Promised Land Project: Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and relation to the Project

Turning Vision into Action....at least hypothetically

Strike up the music of the band
We're blazing a trail for the promised land
Heaven on earth is within you.

Through the writing of stories, poetry, essays, and a novel, I’ve creatively contended with the consumer culture and the problem of the ideal in the modern era. This preoccupation in time would lead to a vision of cultural transformation and where I believe our democratic society needs to go to truly progress beyond the modern era. Conceding my limited credibility, this blog provides a synthesis of recognized visionaries, poets, and writers with the objective of making a credible argument. Ultimately, it is a certain feeling the project strives to inspire and sustain on a certain level, making more vital use of poetry and the arts; consequently whether one agrees or not is less important than whether one senses it and feels it over time.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and relation to the Project

"The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here on MLK day, it's worth revisiting how the project relates to the man. Foremost, perhaps, it promotes a nonconformist, poetic approach to human progress. While that fact may contribute nothing to ensure its ultimate success, it at least pays homage to the pioneer spirit. But the name of the project, "The Promised Land" was also influenced by Martin Luther King, Jr. According to Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, the term is defined as follows:

Promised Land: The land that God promised he would give to the descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; the "land flowing with milk and honey"; the ..land.. of ..Canaan.., or ....Palestine..... The Israelites did not take it over until after the Exodus, when they conquered the people already living there.
By extension, an idyllic place or state of being that a person hopes to reach, especially one that cannot be reached except by patience and determination, is called a "Promised Land." (my bold to emphasize how it relates to our purposes)

As the term symbolizes a shared vision, Martin Luther King, Jr. makes reference to it in his last public address. The following excerpt, as it came on the eve of his assassination, never fails to help restore my faith, if not in the project's success, at least in the spirit behind it:

"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."