PORT TOWNSEND — When driving the coast from Ventura, Calif., to his new home in Port Townsend 11 years ago, Dennis Daneau did what many of us would do: he popped in a CD to pass the time.
Instead of tuning in to music or a book on tape, Daneau took the time to listen to Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. He had a boxed set of seven CDs and this was a great opportunity to become engaged with them, undisturbed.
“I was overwhelmed. I was very enthusiastic and excited about what I had experienced during that drive,” he recalled.
“Although I had heard some of his speeches before, I just went through each of the discs and really listened to his messages. They were very powerful.”
The impact of King’s words remains with him today.
In celebration of King’s life, Daneau will play several speeches from his CD set at the Cotton Building, 607 Water St., in Port Townsend from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. today.
The public is invited to drop in to hear some or all of a speech, or several of them. Admission is free.
Daneau personally rented the space for this presentation. The speeches will be played, uninterrupted, all afternoon.
Included in the selections will be the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech; King’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; his eulogy for the young victims of the Birmingham church bombing, “Our God is Marching On,” “A Time to Break The Silence,” his controversial speech opposing the Vietnam War; and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” the last speech given before his death.
“I decided that since I had these CDs, why not share them so people could hear who this man was and get a sense of what was in his mind and what was in his heart,” Daneau said.
“He knew what to say, and he knew how to bring people into action. He understood the value of non-violent resistance.
“I always respected Dr. King for what he did for the black people in this country, and for all of us,” Daneau continued.
“It isn’t that he was trying to make us all understand the nature of racism, but what it has done to our culture.
“He was very clear that non-violent resistance is not a passive act, that it was very forceful. When done correctly, with people of strength who had to be courageous, it could move mountains.”
King’s words are relevant now, Daneau said.
“These speeches address what’s happening today. They are about the past, but the issues he brings up are still with us,” he said.
“It’s important to understand what he’s speaking about. It’s so sad to see that we’re still far away being a nation that’s gotten over slavery.”
Daneau said the struggle for social justice and equality for everyone has always been dear to his heart. For 30 years he was a social studies teacher who moved into special education.
“I’ve always been a little uncomfortable with the idea that public schools cater to a specific type of learning and structure that isn’t always right for everybody,” he said. “In special ed, I had a chance to vary that.”
Daneau said he personally remembers this part of our country’s history.
“I went through this time. There are people today who don’t remember this stuff. There are people today who have heard that Dr. King was an activist in the civil rights movement, that he had a marvelous speech about a dream, and it was given at the largest protest ever at the Washington mall. They know basic things, but they don’t really know the man in a way that could touch them.
“Once you sit down and really listen to what he has to say, it’s hard to forget his message.”
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Jeannie McMacken is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend.
