Defending Boondocks: The Return of King Episode

Almost immediately after the show aired on the Cartoon Network, individuals pondered over the episode, in which it was explained the late Martin Luther King, Jr. woke up in the year 2000. I am defending creator of the comic strip, Aaron McGruder and the shows producers and actors for several reasons.

Many people who will get up and arms over this episode did not watch the show. Sort of like the millions of Americans who missed Janet Jackson's Superbowl wardrobe malfunction but were offended by the act. You should look at the content of the show's theme before rendering any judgment.

Boondocks is a cartoon and comic strip written by Aaron McGruder, which addresses many social concerns and issues. In this episode, Martin Luther King, Jr. wakes up from a 32 year comma, and sees very little improvement in the African-American community. King becomes a witness to violence on streets bearing his name. Also, Martin Luther King, Jr. writes a book that no one want to read, because he is no longer a viable leader in the African-American community. He is called a hater of American and "supporter of Bid Laden and terrorism." It parallels some of the criticism King faced for not being a black militant and a firm supporter against the War in Vietnam. The episode did get weird when Robert "Granddad" Freeman explained he did not get credit for refusing to give up his seat on the bus, at the same time, the late Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955.

A lot of people are going to be offended that the episode showed Martin Luther King, Jr. repeatedly using the N-word. People may not realize it, however the young people partying did not listen to him until he used it. Unfortunately they may fail to talk about the presented issues by the Boondocks staff. The episode showed a portrayal of how Martin Luther King, Jr. might view the world today. The episode pointed to BET programming as a source of embarrassment for our people, and the lack of concern for the betterment of one's community. People are not interested in fighting injustice as once before, unless their is a dollar bill attached. Anyone watching the Return of King: Episode could see the fruits of our materialistic attitudes in rap videos and everyday living in the black community. In my opinion, the show climates when Martin Luther King, Jr. states, "I took all of these a#* whipping for this..." In the end, Martin Luther King leaves us discouraged and finally dies in obscurity. All of us need to remember that people were beaten, maimed, and murdered in the name of freedom. Not everyone is doing their part to better the lives of one another. Children often take education for granted, while some just forty years ago were willing to walk five miles to school. This is what I got from the episode. Why have we not fulfilled the promise of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream? For real, we have more people doing the wrong thing instead of the right thing in many of our communities.

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