 King was doing what Malcolm X was doing 3 years prior when he was assassinated, by showing this country's glaring contradictions. How ironic that 32 years after the fact we are still dealing with many of the same problems King was trying to eradicate. In many respects things have gotten worse. We still have crazy amounts of police brutality. Schools have all but fallen apart. The prison industrial complex is a top performer on the stock market. Hence we now have economic incentives to lock people up and make them work for private corporations for damn near free as opposed to trying to rehabilitate them. Programs that were once set up to help get us ahead like affirmative action are unceremoniously being dismantled with opponents gleefully pointing out that they don't work and therefore are no longer needed. If that's not enough, all sorts of folks from TV talk show hosts to record label executives have found they can make a handsome living off of Black ignorance, buffoonery and pathologies. Perhaps the biggest set back 32 years after King's assassination is the lack of respect we as a community show toward his legacy. A lot of us are disenchanted and have adapted a 'I don't give a f%^k' mentality. Hence we don't engage in the politics of our community and we bask in the spotlight of being hustlers, playas and thugs. While all this is happening we have many of our own leaders who came up with King sadly and ironically disconnected from the realities of today's Hip Hop generation. The end result to this is 'no direct one on one communication' and very few willing to step to the plate and lend a hand in bringing the heat to those outside media forces that make huge profits by continuously feeding the community poisonous messages and images. Despite all the madness, there have been some bright spots that indicate our resilience and brilliance. The activism within certain sectors of the Hip Hop community over the past year and a half has been unprecedented. Headz from coast to coast have been forming organizations and trying to dig in for the long haul. Even though their efforts and attempts go unrecognized and acknowledged by their disconnected older peers and parents, many of these new activists have remained fixed and committed with their eyes on the prize. They've learned a hard lesson-which is their sense of self worth is not contingent upon the validations of folks outside their circle, but it's based upon the type of progress they make as they seek to accomplish their goals. 32 years ago King was assassinated. Does anyone relate to him at this day and time? Do they feel a connection to the battles he fought back then with the challenges we face today? Does anyone even care? For folks who grew up during the King era, have you followed the age old traditions of our African Griot ancestors by sitting down with younger people and lacing them with game? Have you spoke to them about King and his legacy? Did you tell them how much of a threat he was and how the US Government did everything in their power to undermine him and his efforts? Did you engage in any sort of discussion with your own about King or are we expecting NBC, CBS and CNN to do the talking and explaining for us?
 Today on Chuck D's http://www.Rapstation.com there is a one-hour program that takes a look at the legacy of King through the eyes and rhymes of the hip hop community. The documentary is hosted by Chuck D and features interviews with Ice Cube, Ice T, KRS-One and L.L. Cool J to name a few. The show will be up until midnight so head on over and peep the broadcast. Take some time out today and peep it and then call a friend to see how we can build upon the foundation freedom fighters like King laid down. At a time where we have Diallo being shot at 41 times and unarmed security guards like Patrick Dorismand being gunned down for saying 'No' to drugs, it should be quite obvious the struggle continues.
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