Remembering
Martin Luther King, Jr. for all time
by Sam Johnson
"I
HAVE A DREAM that my four little children will one day live in a nation where
they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character."
---Martin Luther King, Jr.
On August 28th,
1963 an estimated crowd of over 250,000 people marched peacefully on Washington D.C.
in support of civil and economic rights for African Americans.
Organized by a coalition of labor, civil
rights, and religious leaders and organizations, the rally featured a number of
speeches by well-known celebrities and lesser-known political and religious
leaders.
But the highlight of the event is
without question the short, but powerful “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin
Luther King, Jr. delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Dr. King’s famous (and now historic}
speech about his dream of racial harmony, truly moved a nation. “The Great
March on Washington” capped off by King’s “I Have A Dream” speech is widely
credited with helping pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and paving the way for
other civil and human rights advancements for all Americans.
This August 28th another crowd will descend on Washington D.C. to visit the “Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial,” and pay tribute to the man who did so much for human rights in America, as well as influencing human rights issues with leaders around the world. MLK Links & Resources
Click the link below for more info.
The 30-foot
granite statue and memorial of the Reverend Dr. King, has him overlooking the
Tidal Basin on the National Mall near the Jefferson Memorial, and not far from
the spot where his “I Have A Dream” speech was delivered at the Lincoln
Memorial.
This
week, a host of special events will take place at the King Memorial, laying out the legacy of the man and his dream.
And what a legacy it is!
King was
a great moral leader whose dream of racial equality and justice for all was a
powerful dream, and an optimistic one.
King's dream is a dream filled with hope
and possibility; the hope of world peace and freedom for all, and the
possibility of universal brotherhood.
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a great impact
on many people and was the cause of tremendous social changes in America.
He was an eloquent and emotional speaker
who was able to move people by making the words we take for granted ring out
with new clarity, truth, and sincerity...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that ALL men are created equal…."
King was a motivator, a leader who used
his gifts as a preacher to motivate people to take positive, nonviolent action.
He preached social and political activism,
but emphasized that such activism should not be violent. It was a philosophy
that did not sit well with other black activists who
felt his nonviolent methods were too weak to effect any change
However, King's nonviolent efforts
as "a drum major for righteousness" led to many reforms and
advancements in civil rights and human rights, not as they pertained just to
blacks, but as they pertained to all people of all races.
King was also active in the war on
poverty and in opposition to the Vietnam war, and his influence was felt in
every reform movement of the 1960's and 1970's from women's rights to the
environment.
But King was more than a nonviolent
activist who championed civil rights and other social causes. He was also
the eternal optimist who sincerely believed that the basic goodness of man
would some day "make the ideal of brotherhood a reality in this nation and
all over the world."
In his acceptance speech for the Nobel
Peace Prize he received in 1964 King said:
"I accept this
award with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of
mankind...I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to
the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and
brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that what self-centered men
have torn down, other-centered men can build up...I still believe that we shall
overcome."
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great
teacher who taught us many things -- that people can and do make a difference,
that WE are responsible for ourselves AND each other, that change can take
place if actively though NOT violently pursued – AND, that WE can make dreams
come true if we put forth the unyielding effort required!
(Editor’s note: Sam was the 1996
recipient of the North Dakota "Martin Luther King, Jr. Educator of the Year" award. He teaches Humanities, Communication, and Integrated Studies course at the University of North Dakota and is an associate professor of English and Humanities at Lake Region State College.