Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Next week, our nation observes the birth of the great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. King was assassinated a few years before I was born, and I don’t have the informed perspective on his life and death that those who experienced the civil rights movement firsthand have.  At the same time, the legacy and lasting impact of Dr. King’s work and timeless words have a tremendous impact on our world today.

I recently re-read two of Dr. King’s speeches — the famous, oft-quoted, “I have a dream” speech of 1963 that stirred our nation’s consciousness on the evil of segregation and discrimination and his “I’ve seen the promised land” speech of April 3, 1968.

In the “promised land” speech, delivered in Memphis, TN, Dr. King spoke of how close he had come to death several years before (because of an assassination attempt) and how if he had succumbed he would not have been a part of much of the fight for freedom and the end of oppression in our country. He would not have been alive to see the signing of the Civil Rights Bill.  He would not have been able to tell the world about his dream of children of all colors one day coming together. He openly acknowledged the many threats against him as he spoke in Memphis, where he was rallying support for striking garbage workers.  He acknowledged them and accepted them, saying “I’ve seen the promised land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know, tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land.”

Just one day after Dr. King gave this speech, which concluded with his declaration that, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the Lord!” he was assassinated outside the door of a Memphis motel room, and our country lost one of the greatest moral leaders it had ever known.  I get chills when I read his words and consider what happened on that balcony.

I hope we can all take some time this MLK Day to help keep the memory of his life, his actions and his words alive. During what was to be his last speech, he said something else that I believe we, especially elected leaders, should all be reminded of, not just on the day celebrating his life, but each and every day — “Let us rise up tonight with a great readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.”

We have a lot of challenges in our state and our country right now.  Lately, some in our nation have focused too much on dividing the American people, even during days of great challenge. Dr. King was right — we do have the opportunity to make our nation better, but only if we face those challenges head on. It seems as though we often lose sight of solving problems and focus more on dividing the American people through partisanship and political ideology. I hope we’ll be reminded of Dr. King’s words, not just once a year when we observe his birth, but as a call to action everyday. We must stand with greater determination to solve our many challenges but most importantly, we must stand together