Barry Scott Commemorates MLK Jr.
Amy Gonzo
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
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These are the questions that speaker Barry Scott asked SNC students at his presentation of some of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speeches. He encouraged them to think deeply about how far society has come and where it is headed with regards to tolerance.
Scott started reciting King's speeches professionally after King's assassination in 1968. His inspiration for sharing King's speeches stems from his experience as an African-American growing up in Tennessee during the 1960s.
One summer night when he was a teenager, Scott was pulled over while he was waiting to restart his car's engine. He was approached by a man carrying a gun. Terrified, Scott sat frozen in the car. As the man approached the car he identified himself as a member of the police department. The officer ordered Scott out of the car using a variety of racial slurs. He then pointed the gun at Scott and forced him to say that his father was a drunk and his mother was a whore. The officer then allowed Scott to go but vowed that someday he would finish what he had started.
Later that night, Scott and the rest of his family went to the police station to report the incident, but they were laughed out of the building.
It is this type of personal experience that caused Scott to tell the audience, "I have a perfectly good reason for reciting his speeches."
While struggling with discrimination and personal identity, Scott looked to King for support. For him, listening to the King's speeches on an old film reel that his father had brought home reinforced who he was and what he believed.
Scott also puts King's speeches into the context of present day American politics. "Some of King's speeches may be more important to us today," said Scott. He encouraged the audience to listen to King's speech on Vietnam and consider how it could be applied to our involvement in the Middle East. He also acknowledged similarities between King and President Obama. He noted that one similarity is the "musicality of their speech."
Barry Scott is a professional actor, writer, producer, director, motivational speaker and voice-over artist. His acting credits include "I'll Fly Away" and "In the Heat of the Nigh
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