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Way Cool Audio - Part One: Be Not Afraid

By Eric L. Lipman

I had the occasion to do a little state travel earlier this week. I took with me some podcasts from the American Radioworks series on Great Speeches by African-Americans. Included in the collection are speeches by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas.

Interestingly, the two items were linked in a way that the producers could not have imagined. The feature on Dr. King?s last year of life closes with Reverend Ralph Abernathy's description of how he held King, as the slain civil rights leader lay dying, repeating to him: "Be not afraid, Martin. Be not afraid?."

Remarkably, the title and theme of Justice Thomas' 2001 address to the American Enterprise Institute, a program that is likewise featured in the series, is "Be not afraid." In his remarks, Justice Thomas touches upon how personal and professional courage relates to judging and maintenance of the rule of law.

The feature on Dr. King is accessible from iTunes here, whereas Justice Thomas' remarks are accessible here.

Full post as published by Within the Scope on April 13, 2008 (boomark / email).