On Being with Krista Tippett

In 67, he had famously come out in opposition to the Vietnam War.

To change the edifice that produces beggars, is what he called us to.

And he was saying, listen, you know, what I found powerful is like, look, he said, I don't mean to in any way, shape or form not value the extraordinary sacrifice that white folks have made to come to the South and stand with us when they saw the viciousness of white supremacy.

But he made a really interesting agitational, you know, claim at that moment. He said at that moment, all we were doing was quite frankly asking white folks for civility. We weren't really asking for much. Now we're asking for something that and what we're asking for now, we begin. It's a harder sacrifice that we don't hear as many people coming out into the streets. We're asking for equity.

And it's King talking about his walk with Stoley Carmichael, and which was he claims that the book, the first time that term is used in a big popular setting was that one moment.

In taking from us a being we have loved and venerated, death does not wound us without at the same time lifting us toward a more perfect understanding of this being and of ourselves.

In the folds of this European civilization, I was born and shall die, imprisoned, conditioned, depressed, exalted, and inspired. Integrally a part of it and yet much more significant, one of its rejected parts, one who expressed in life and action and made vocal to many a single whirlpool of social entanglement and inner psychological paradox, which always seemed to me more significant for the meaning of the world today than other similar and related problems. Crucified on the vast wheel of time, I flew round and round with the zeitgeist, waving my pen and lifting faint voices to explain, expound, and exhort, to see, foresee, and prophesy to the few who could or would listen. Thus very evidently to me and to others, I did little to create my day or greatly change it, but I did exemplify it. And thus for all time, my life is significant for all lives of men.

I really love your book about Du Bois. It's wonderful.

And again, this is Dark Water. When did he write that? Was that early 20th century also? Yes. 1919.

I'm going to read this, these first lines, which really, as you just described the fusion of culture and religion and religious tradition. You know, he says, I believe in God who made of one blood all nations that on earth do dwell.

And I subsequently found out it did for most of my colleagues and friends who had read it also.

Thoreau's diaries? Yeah, his journals I guess because actually in the history of the written word for some reason, men's diaries are called journals and women's diaries are called diaries.

he talks about hard work and he says basically that the person who works hard doesn't exert himself all day but has this leisure around accomplishing the task and he says that the hen lays just one egg and the rest of the time she goes around and she feeds on things that feed the next egg

the more we busy ourselves with just the drudgery of work, the more actual work we accomplish

he basically envisions the internet. He envisions this personal computer called the memex from memory and index. And it's extraordinarily prophetic in what not just the technology, but the relationships that we'll have with knowledge, with information, with each other.

He said there will be a new profession of trailblazers who will make a career out of finding useful trails through the common record.