[Oe List ...] A reflection on an unforgettable MLK weekend

[Terry Bergdall]

Reading your reflection, Judi, I recall a remarkable day I spent with Charles in a Murang'a District village in Kenya during the 1980s. Sitting around a jiko fire in the dark before retiring for the evening, I asked him about his days with MLK. It started slowly but then grew into one fascinating story after another. What I remember most were details he shared about the writing, editing, and publication of the "Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Years (actually decades) later, I read the Wikipedia entry about the letter and came across a note after a sentence inserted by an editor saying “citation needed.” Drawing upon what I recalled Charles telling me that night, I went looking online for published evidence to confirm both my memory and the “citation” sought by Wikipedia. I eventually found it in an interview with Wyatt Tee Walker and added it to the entry. It remains my one and only contribution to a Wikipedia article [footnote 32, but who’s counting?]. Thanks, Judi, for rekindling those memories! Terry

> On Jan 24, 2026, at 13:00, Judi White via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
> I was privileged to be invited to celebrate the annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. The weekend opened the door to being a community of Spirit again. The weekend also opened wounds still festring, yet covered carefully by scars hiding unhealed festering. But, that is a story for another day. This is the story I want to share today.
> 
> Journey to Atlanta to visit Al Lingo - Charles to most of us
> And celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. This, as I am reliving it at home.
> 
> My friend, a prolific storyteller,
> Is sharing  many experiences
> Of working with Martin Luther King.
> I listen, regretting I  am not recording them. 
> They are first hand memories
> Of a decisive turning point in history.
> My friend had a role in organizing Bloody Sunday
> And the March to Montgomery two weeks later.
> In this retelling, I am living it with him.
> Its power still remains alive
> As history's document to radical change
> By a voice walking into the future
> With freedom and Justice in its words.
> Participating in the tribute to King
> Livestream from the Ebenezer Church 
> Amazed by the passion for equanimity
> Still pulsing through this beloved community
> I am caught up with renewed inspiration
> To heal human suffering as a vast movement
> Of spirit surging in hearts
>  Aspiring to liberate oppression.
> In a predawn morning sit earlier
> Alone in a circle of empty chairs
> I fill them with my inner circle
> Of teachers and guides
> All ancestors now
> Still supporting my determination
> To be the presence of peace
> And healer of suffering.
> Three director's chairs hold
> Larry Ward, Martha Crampton and Lyn Edwrds.
> To arm chairs on either side of them
> The Buddha in the personal of Thich Nhat Hanh
> And  in the other Jesus, Nature's persona of the Cosmos
> We sit in the silence of the morning sun's arrival,
> New faces replacing another occasionally.
> I ask no questions and expect no dialogue.
> I simply breathe in the energy they are
> Just being here with me.
> Later, as the day unfolds,
> Feeling blessed to be so supported
> By such profound spiritual guides
> Teachers of wisdom for me to continue.
> Their legacy is my destiny
> For the few years I have left to use my voice.
> 
> Judi White
> Author of Bodhi Leaves - an unfolding journey
>                                           of depth reflection
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