MLK Jr.: His legacy still lives on
“How can I be expected to have faith in a government that has proven, far too often, to be totally unfaithful to the very people they serve?”
“It seems that our legislative assemblies have adopted Nero as their patron saint and are bent on fiddling while our cities burn.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
By Stephan Drew
In just a few days, we will celebrate the heroic life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and will honor his legacy with events, parades and special services all over the country. He was a man of great courage, integrity and honor and he deserves all these plaudits and more. Like Gandhi, he led a nonviolent movement that changed the world and ended up giving his life in the struggle to secure equal rights for blacks and other minorities in the United States. There will never be another man as gifted, devoted and enthralling as King. His voice still mesmerizes us today and his message resonates in our hearts. He was born Michael King Jr. on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta. His father was a Baptist minister and traveled to Germany when Michael was 5. Rev. King was so inspired by the life and works of the 15th century Protestant reformer Martin Luther that, upon his return to America, he changed not only his name but also his son’s. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up a brilliant scholar. He was such a gifted student that he skipped grades 9 and 12 and entered Morehouse College at 15 years old. At first, he had no desire to follow his father and grandfather into the ministry. But the college president, Benjamin E. Mays, convinced him otherwise and he was ordained a minister before graduating with a degree in sociology. In 1952, he met and fell in love with Coretta Scott, marrying her the following year. In 1955, he earned a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University. In 1957, six years before his famous “I have a dream” speech, he spoke on the topic of voting rights before nearly 30,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. He spent his entire life devoted to the struggle of civil rights and, because of his efforts, he was arrested nearly 30 times (once for driving 30 mph in a 25 mph zone). As a result of his hard work, civil rights legislation was adopted and equal rights for all came to be even in the darkest areas of the Deep South. On Sept. 20, 1958, King was in Harlem signing copies of his book “Stride Toward Freedom” when a woman approached him and plunged a 7-inch letter opener into his chest. Undergoing hours of surgery, it was discovered that the point of the blade rested alongside his aorta. Doctors told him later that just one sneeze could have punctured his aorta and killed him. While recovering in his hospital bed, King issued a statement confirming that he had no hard feelings toward his attacker and reaffirming his belief in nonviolence. In the fall of 1968, he was gunned down by a coward hiding in the dark and was mourned by millions around the world. Yes, he was a truly great and honorable man. And he stirred our souls with themes of justice and equality, not only for minorities but for ALL. He knew, and repeatedly told us, that if there is ANY lack of justice, even in one city, then there is NO justice anywhere in this land. He also reminded us that we cannot be seen as the “Freedom Warrior of the World” if there is even ONE in our country who is not treated justly and fairly. And he spoke of fairness in ALL things. Not only in racial relations but in our economy, our jobs and wages, our businesses, churches and all other institutions. He spoke of the evil in the hearts of people. He explained to us that although you cannot legislate morality, you can regulate behavior. As he declared, “A law may not make someone love me. But if it keeps them from killing me, it’s still a good thing.” And he was absolutely right. Everything he said was true. Many of the abuses he fought against are still with us today. After he was taken from us so tragically, others picked up his mantle and have carried it for over 50 years. That movement has created the further advances in equality that we have today. Forty-five years after King’s death, Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States. That may have been unbelievable to most when King died. But he knew it would eventually happen. Now, we have our first black female vice president. Black business ownership is at an all-time high and minorities account for a significant percentage of the population in all American colleges and universities. There is no job field that is closed to persons of color and there is no limit to what can be accomplished in this country, no matter what your race, color, sex or socio-economic background. Yes, his legacy lives on but his work is not finished. Now that things are better for minorities, we must carry on his work of elevating the remaining poor and others suffering in our nation. When businesses owners pay minimum wage to their workers to create products that the workers cannot even afford to buy, that is not job fairness. It is economic slavery. When people have to choose between food or heat, that is not prosperity. When the ill have to choose between medical treatment or financial security, that is not healthcare. And when our government officials call themselves our “servants” but treat their constituents like ignorant slaves, that is not public service or justice. When our leaders say they are working “in our interests” but do not listen to our pleas for help, that is not government. There are still great problems which need to be addressed and corrected in this “land of milk and honey.” But I thank God that Martin Luther King Jr. lived and was able to help show us the way. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, everyone! I hope we will all spend it serving our community, as he did. There is no greater legacy we could leave behind.
