“I could not go to sleep. While I lay in that quiet front bedroom, with a distant street lamp throwing a reassuring glow through the curtained window, I began to think of the viciousness of people who would bomb my home. I could feel the anger rising when I realized that my wife and baby could have been killed. I thought about the city commissioners and all the statements that they had made about me and the Negro generally. I was once more on the verge of corroding anger. And once more I caught myself and said: “You must not allow yourself to become bitter.”
I tried to put myself in the place of the police commissioners. I said to myself these are not bad men. They are misguided. They have fine reputations in the community. In their dealings with white people they are respectful and gentlemanly. They probably think they are right in their methods of dealing with Negroes. They say the things they say about us and treat us as they do because they have been taught these things. From the cradle to the grave, it is instilled in them that the Negro is inferior. Their parents probably taught them that; the schools they attended taught them that; the books they read, even their churches and ministers, often taught them that; and above all the very concept of segregation teaches them that. The whole cultural traditional under which they have grown—a tradition blighted with more than 250 years of slavery and more than 90 years of segregation—teaches them that Negroes do not deserve certain things. So these men are merely the children of their culture. When they seek to preserve segregation they are seeking to preserve only what their local folkways have taught them was right.
”
—
Stride Toward Freedom by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., age 27, recounting the first bombing of his house from a chapter entitled “The Violence of Desperate Men.”
Few people have ever written as clearly and simply and profoundly as Martin Luther King Jr. It still astonishes me that he could think, write, and act this way despite repeated assassination attempts. Reflect on your emotions and reactions.
(I think this is at least the second time I have posted this quote.)
The clip that I believe is at 9:11 in Christian Marclay’s The Clock and that refers to 9/11 is sublime.
Interesting subject.
Champs-Élysées, Paris, France July 2009
Shooting.
New Tumblr Series from MoMA Talks!
We are so excited to roll out a few series we have been secretly posting for the last month or so - now you can see all of them in one easy place! Just click on one of our three series listings on the right side menu of our blog to see all our posts. Check them out!
Monday Muse - Since we started tumbling, we have been sharing words of wisdom and inspiration from all types of creatives -writers, artists, philosophers and more. Start your week off right with our weekly #mondaymuse series… or check out our series whenever you like here!
Roving Guides - This fall, MoMA educators began inserting guerrilla interventions in our gallery spaces - from impromptu readings and drawing sessions, to hands-on encounters with objects. These spontaneous interactions are meant to engage our visitors with each other and the artwork in new, surprising, and unexpected ways. Since we started these experiments, we have been taking pictures and notes, and we have been talking to visitors about their experience. The Roving Guides series compiles our observations to share insight into the happenings. Search #momaroving anytime or see all our posts here. The Roving series will post at least twice a month.
Two Sides - We’ll explore the relationship between two objects, ideas, or images. What makes them different or what makes them alike? From art to nature, come have a little fun with us pairing all kinds of things! Search anytime with #twosidesmoma or #sheetalp or bookmark this link. Two Sides will post twice a month.
Lessig Blog, v2: Prosecutor as bully
(Some will say this is not the time. I disagree. This is the time when every mixed emotion needs to find voice.)
Since his arrest in January, 2011, I have known more about the events that began this spiral than I have wanted to know. Aaron consulted me as a friend and lawyer. He…
It was heartbreaking to glean bits of information about Aaron’s suicide off twitter this morning. I went for a hike and thought about him.
Learn about saturation and a range of color sets including complimentary, analagous, triadic and tertadic colors! Play now!
This is fun.
This makes me so happy. Eataly, Flatiron Wines, Union Square Farmers Market, and now Kayser so close to my apartment!
