Newspaper Page Text
November 30, 1984/The Maroon Tiger/Page 2A
Daddy King, A Noble Man
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By Emanuel McCirt
Staff Writer
"In a sense, he was the father
of a nation. Blessed be the name
of Martin Luther King Sr. When
you think of the name of Dr.
Martin LutherKing Sr., you think
of nobility, courage, love, suffer
ing, and redemption. Blessed be
the name of Martin Luther King
Sr.,” said Rev. Jesse Jackson. He
continued, “This man who once
picked cotton, lived to pick
Presidents.”
Daddy King, the 84-year-old
minister and father of the late
Martin Luther King, Jr. died in
the late afternoon hours of
November 11 at the Crawford
Long Memorial Hospital.
Daddy King came from very
humble beginnings. His father
worked on a plantation and his
mother was a maid. During his
teenage years, he had to plow
fields in the morning before he
went to school. His classmates
used to tell him that he smelled
like a mule so much that he
developed a “mule complex.”
One day, he said to some friends,
“I may smell like a mule, but I
don’t think like a mule.” At
Morehouse College he earned a
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of
Theology degrees. He endured
many personal tragedies during
his lifetime. The assassination of
his son, the late Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. in 1968, the
drowning of his other son Rev.
A.D. Williams King in 1969, and
the assassination of his wife
Alberta Williams King in 1974.
Through all of these untimely
deaths, Daddy King never lost
hope. He said, “I’ve got a job to
do every day. I’ll never stoop so
low as to hate another man.”
Dr. Hugh M. Gloster, presi
dent of Morehouse College in a
letter to “Daddy King” stated,
“Throughout your professional
career you have been a giant of a
man in religious, political, and
educational activities in Atlanta,
in Georgia, and in the United
States. Under your leadership,
Ebenezer Baptist Church has
become one of the outstanding
churches in the country. You
have played a prominent role in
local, state, and national politics;
and you are a trusted advisor of
President Jimmy Carter.” (This
letter was written when Dr. King
was honored at a Gala Banquet in
October, 1977).
President Gloster continued,
“You have played a leading role
in the development of
Morehouse College, the
Morehouse School of Religion,
the Interdenominational
Theological Center, and Atlanta
University. Despite your heavy
involvement in top-level
religious, political and
educational affairs, you have
always showed concern and
compassion for the poor and the
underprivileged, who have
always known that they could
find in you a friend in need.”
At the same banquet, then
Vice-President Walter Mondale
told over 1,000 people
assembled that “a man is never
old until regrets take the place of
dreams. “Daddy King,” like his
son and like our nation, has
never ceased to dream.” Mon
dale further commented, “Dad
dy King was denied his right to
vote in America until he was 47
years old. I was elected Vice
President of the United States at
the age of 48. He could have
become bitter. He could have
hated his country. But, despite-
that injustice, Daddy King is an
American son in the best sense of
the word.” One of the most
prophetic voices in American
history, Dr. King said on the
occasion of the New York
Testimonial Banquet, “Now the
doors are open and segregation
is dead, although I don’t know
when they’re going to have the
funeral.” Looking to the future,
he added, “We are living in
perilous times. We have difficult
days ahead despite our
preaching and praying. We’ve
got more hatred on earth than
we ever had.”
“Daddy King” left the pulpit of
Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Atlanta to fight discrimination,
segregation, disfranchisement,
and all the other ordeals through
which black people have had to
pass in this country. He proved a
genuine friend to scores of
people unknown to the
membership of his congrega
tion. Many a fledgling black
businessman received en
couragement, support, and
patronage as a result of his
commercials for them in the days
when there was no Small
Business Administration loans,j
and minority-owned businesses
depended solely on minority
patrons.
.
Daddy King was for the up
ward mobility of black people
and the entire human race. His
son Martin Luther King Jr. wrote
“We must not be afraid to die..
The end of life is not to be happy..
The end of life is not to achieve
pleasure and avoid pain. Theend
of life is to do the will of God,,
come what may.” Daddy King,
you made a difference in our
people’s lives. Rest in peace.
What Is A Grandmother?
(as written by a third grader)
A Grandmother is a lady who
has no little children of her own.
She likes other people’s.
A grandfather is a man grand
mother.
Grandmothers don’t have
anything to do except be there.
There are old so they should
not play hard or run. It isenough
if they drive us to market and
have dimes ready.
When they take us for walks,
they slow down past things like
pretty leaves and catepillars.
They never say “hurry up.”
Usually grandmothers are fat,
but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They can take their teeth and
gums out. Grandmothers don't
have to be smart, only answer
questions like, “Why isn’t God
married?” "How come dogs
chase cats?”
When they read to us they
don’t skip or mind if we ask for
the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a
grandmother, especially if you
don’t have television because
they are the only grown-ups who
have time.
Morehouse Man Wins Pepsi Scholarship
PURCHASE, NY — Pepsi-Cola
Company has awarded a
scholarship to Glenn Boulware, a
senior at Morehouse, in recogni
tion of his outstanding perfor
mance this past summer in Pepsi
Cola Company’s Minority Intern
Program.
Glenn, who worked as a Data
Entry Assistant in the Informa
tion Systems Department, will be
receiving a $2,000 award to be
applied toward his school ex
penses. Additionally, the Pep
si Cola Foundation will be
matching this grant for another
deserving minority student who
will be selected by Morehouse
College.
Glenn, a native of Dresher, PA,
was one of eighteen participants
in Pepsi-Cola Company’s
Minority Intern Program who
were awarded scholarships. The
internship provided him with
meaningful business experience,
while enabling him to explore
various career options prior to
graduation. "Our goal is to
prepare them for a management
career,” said Mike Feiner, Vice
President of Personnel, "and of
course, we would encourage j
them to consider Pepsi-Cola
Company.”
Glenn commented on his
summer experience at Pepsi
Cola Company: “My summer
internship was a great success
because I was able to apply my
theoretical knowledge of com
puters in an actual job environ
ment. I also had the opportunity
to meet others in my field as well
as individuals working in other
areas."