Tag Archives: Martin Luther King

Occupy Wall Street needs an exit strategy

Posted on October 11, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Starting a large enterprise without having a clear idea of how it could end is risky and dangerous.  (Ask George W. Bush about the wisdom of plotting an exit strategy.)  Now that Occupy Wall Street has succeeded in getting public … Continue reading →

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A day for Labor

Posted on September 7, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Successful politicians exploit, buy off, and sell out the movements that sometimes buoy their campaigns.  This American story is an old one, and it’s one that leaves activists disappointed, wary, and cynical, even especially about the politicians who do the … Continue reading →

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Freedom Rides, 50 years on

Posted on May 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Fifty years ago this month, the Freedom Riders put their bodies on the line to test their right to integrated interstate travel and accommodations. Starting tonight, PBS is running a compelling documentary of the events, featuring interviews with many of … Continue reading →

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Cesar Chavez Day

Posted on March 26, 2011 by David S. Meyer

On my campus, we commemorated Cesar Chavez Day early, yesterday, rather than March 31 (his birthday), by closing.  The state established the holiday in 2000, and six other states have followed suit.  In California, the legislature calls upon public schools … Continue reading →

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Dead Heroes, Martin Luther King, and Original Intent

Posted on January 19, 2011 by David S. Meyer

In the fall of 2001 I sat on a committee charged with planning the program for Martin Luther King Day here at UC Irvine.  American armed forces were then just entering Afghanistan, seeking Osama Bin Laden, and fighting to oust … Continue reading →

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Martin Luther King Day and Dead Heroes

Posted on January 18, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Martin Luther King died young enough and dramatically enough to be turned into an American hero, but it was neither his youth nor his death that made him heroic. In his rather brief public life, beginning in Montgomery at 26, … Continue reading →

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