CMT Blog: Archive

When I was in Atlanta last month, I made it a point to stop by the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like it’s important to check in every once in a while. I wasn’t alive when the civil rights movement was burgeoning, but I don’t want to forget the sacrifices and the protests led by a very brave man, killed because he stood up for his beliefs.

One of the most empowering songs I’ve ever heard is called "Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin. In it, she explores the burdens we all encounter, the resolve it takes to get through, and the rewards that make it all worth it. So far, it’s been recorded at least three times – by Solomon Burke, Kelly Clarkson and Griffin herself. All three versions will take your breath away. I am grateful to have heard all three performers sing these live, and every time, the whole room went completely silent. You’d think it was a real protest song from the 1960s, and what I wouldn’t give to hear Mavis Staples belt this one out. Griffin says she was inspired to write the song after discovering a speech given by King in Memphis in 1968, titled "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop."

I am particularly moved by this passage from King’s speech:

"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!"

Dr. King and his wife are laid to rest in a concrete tomb in the middle of a reflecting pool in downtown Atlanta. He was born just up the street and preached at the nearby historic Ebenezer Baptist Church before taking his message across the South. Shotgun homes that were standing in the 1960s have avoided the fate of developers, and if it weren’t for the massive new Ebenezer Baptist Church, the area would look largely untouched by time. But in a way, it’s also incredibly important to recognize that times have certainly changed.