"That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained."
A while back, I began listening to podcasts on my morning walk with Canter instead of music. There are a few that I listen to regularly and one of my favorites is BBC's Desert Island Discs. Not only is it fascinating to listen to interviews with people from all walks of life, but I also enjoy listening to some of the music that they like. There's something thrilling about finding out that an acclaimed author or actor likes the same musicians that I do. On my walk today I was especially delighted with Lauren Laverne's guest Vanley Burke, a photographer who emigrated from Jamaica to England at the age of 14. One of his choices to take to the desert island was a recording of Haile Selassie's 1963 address to the United Nations. Since I am a Bob Marley fan, I was familiar with the excerpt from the address that was played on the podcast. In light of the situation with the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, listening to the recording of Selassie's actual speech at the UN was particularly moving. Once I got home, I did a search to find out more about this Ethiopian emperor and Rastafari messiah who I knew so little about. His words are a great source of inspiration and particularly meaningful as I anticipate the results of tomorrow's elections.
Vanley Burke, as well as describing the racial tensions he and his family experienced over the years in England and his career as a photographer, went on to choose two pieces of music which I adore. I highly recommend listening to this episode of BBC's Desert Island Discs, though I must warn you, after you've listened to it, you may just find yourself sipping a rum & coconut water listening to Miles Davis' Blue in Green.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00010pq
https://www.azquotes.com/author/13294-Haile_Selassie
