Southern + Religion?......

I've been enrolled in this class for over a month now, but coincidentally I never really thought about Southern Religion, religion in the South, etc. Then the other day, while my brain was off on a tangent, I was thinking of this wonderful man, God-sent, AWESOME man, God's gift to the South & Religion......A sure inspiration to me and one of my idols......he is none other than......Dr. Martin Luther King (arguably one of the top five greatest men to ever grace this Earth!)! I just love this man. I know that his "I Have A Dream" speech is what everyone is more familiar with and prefer BUT my favorite is "I've Been To The Mountain Top". This speech has so much meaning to me because it was his last. I truly believe he knew what was in store for himself, his passing, and us as Americans and African Americans. I cry every time I hear this speech. So since I feel like Dr. King is the epitome of Southern religion, I decided to pay homage to him by dedicating a post to him and his legacy with his last speech. ENJOY!



Here also is a man I admire, that not only helped pave the way for the South but he also laid down the foundation for Dr. King. A lot of people are not familiar with him but he has been considered the "Father of the Civil Rights Movement". He was definitely a man before his time and maybe even now. He was very eccentric and passionate in his efforts. Here below is his last and most famous sermon "It's Safe to Murder Negroes". Ironically, this particular speech is similar in context with my paper concerning capital punishment. Anyhow, it is a really great speech/sermon where he ridicules the Black race for standing around allowing other Blacks to be unjustly killed in the South and not taking a stand. He basically says that Blacks are just as guilty as the whites that lynch blacks, because they stand by and let it happen. He even goes as far to call them hypocrites! Anyway its a great speech, watch it for yourself. This clip was from the movie The Vernon Johns Story. This sermon took place at the Dexter Baptist Ave. Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. Vernon Johns was relieved/fired as pastor after this sermon and replaced by a more subtle preacher,....Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.