NICK EICHER, HOST: At present is Monday, January sixteenth. Good morning! That is The World and Every little thing in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.
MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Developing subsequent, the WORLD Historical past E-book.
At present, the primary nationwide observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Plus, the fiftieth anniversary of the Supreme Courtroom resolution claiming a constitutional proper to abortion.
EICHER: However first, the beginning of a well-known guitarist and influential music producer. Right here’s Paul Butler.
PAUL BUTLER, REPORTER: We start at present in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 14th, 1948. Baseball hopeful Joseph Henry Burnett Jr. and his spouse Hazel welcome their first and solely youngster into the world—they identify him Joseph Henry Burnett III—we all know him at present as “T-Bone.”
SONG: I’M GOING ON A LONG JOURNEY NEVER TO RETURN by T-BONE BURNETT
Burnett grew up acquainted with Christianity. He was raised Episcopalian by his mom. His grandfather served with the Southern Baptist Conference.
At a younger age he fell in love with music—listening to his guardian’s information. In his youth he picked up the guitar and commenced making his personal music.
T-Bone labored within the music business as he might, however his huge break got here in 1975 when Bob Dylan invited him to hitch the Rolling Thunder Revue.
ROLLING THUNDER REVUE
After 14 years of ensemble work within the business, he went out on his personal in 1980—releasing a handful of solo albums. A pair years later, leisure reporter Bobbie Wygant interviewed T-Bone for NBC5 Dallas-Fort Price.
WYGANT: Do you think about your self a born once more Christian?
BURNETT: No, I say I’m an Episcopalian. I imply “born once more Christian” is redundant. I attempt to categorical my perception and emotions in my songs and check out to not discuss down or preach to folks.
His long-lasting profession contains collaborations with a number of the largest names in music throughout musical kinds: Elvis Costello, Alison Krauss, Elton John, Roy Orbison, John Mellencamp—turning into a wanted producer. Maybe one in all his hottest producing tasks was the O Brother, The place Artwork Thou? soundtrack.
SONG: O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
In 2020, PBS Newshour requested him how he approached his craft as a music producer:
BURNETT: One factor I do know is all the most effective artwork is made by artists working at full autonomy. The extra strings you connect to an artist, the extra autonomy you’re taking away from him, the much less ready he’s to make music…
At 75 years previous, T-Bone continues to be very energetic within the music business…in recent times he’s invested quite a lot of money and time into analog recording developments and has turn into a extreme critic of social media corporations and the leisure business.
O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
Subsequent, January twenty second, 1973…
CBS NEWS: Good night. In a landmark ruling the Supreme Courtroom at present legalized abortions.
CBS Information anchor Walter Cronkite saying the Roe v Wade resolution.
CBS NEWS: …the choice to finish the being pregnant in the course of the first three months belongs to the lady and her physician, not the federal government.
By a vote of seven to 2, the Supreme Courtroom overturned particular person state bans on abortion within the first three months of being pregnant. The bulk resolution asserted that bans disadvantaged ladies of a basic liberty with out due technique of the regulation—interesting to the 14th modification. CBS reporter George Herman:
HERMAN: Solely within the remaining levels of being pregnant might states intervene and say no to abortion. The court docket’s resolution written by Justice Blackmun thus units limits on the appropriate to abortion on demand. One restrict is the time when medical doctors consider the fetus could possibly survive exterior the mom’s womb.
Early pro-life advocate James McHugh—talking on behalf of the Catholic Church—predicted that this resolution would erode our tradition’s dedication to life.
JAMES MCHUGH: On this occasion, the Supreme Courtroom has withdrawn safety for the human rights of unborn kids. And it’s educating those who abortion is a relatively innocuous process offered that there are correct authorized safeguards. I believe that the judgment of the court docket will do an incredible deal to tear down the respect beforehand accorded human life in our tradition.
50 years later, McHugh’s predictions arguably have come true, because the Supreme Courtroom Choice of 1973, greater than 54 million infants within the U.S. have died by the process. And although Roe v Wade has been overturned, the battle for all times continues—not solely on the native stage—but in addition within the human coronary heart.
And at last, January twentieth, 1986. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is noticed federally for the primary time. Audio right here from ABC Nightly Information:
PETER JENNINGS: It took the US Congress 16 years to lastly endorse a nationwide vacation for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nevertheless it lastly occurred. And right here in Atlanta at present, which was the seedbed for his dedication to civil rights, there’s been a serious celebration.
The requires a federal vacation honoring Martin Luther King Jr. started shortly after his assassination in 1968. Democratic Michigan Congressman John Conyers was the primary to suggest a invoice to that finish…it was rejected. For practically 15 years, Conyers tried repeatedly, every time failing, however by 1980 issues started to vary—partly because of Stevie Surprise…and his music “Completely happy Birthday”—a rallying cry to honor King’s legacy.
SONG: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BY STEVIE WONDER
On November 2nd, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Vacation Invoice into regulation—designating the third Monday in January as a federal vacation.
REAGAN: If all of us younger and previous, Republicans and Democrats do all we are able to to reside as much as these commandments, then we’ll see the day when Dr. King’s dream comes true. And in his phrases, all of God’s kids will be capable of sing with new which means. Land the place my father’s died, land of the pilgrims pleasure From each mountainside Let freedom ring.
It took 17 extra years earlier than all 50 states totally acknowledged the vacation. At present, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is greater than a break day, it’s turn into a day put aside to encourage group service and enchancment.
That’s this week’s WORLD Historical past E-book. I’m Paul Butler.
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