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Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr. – A Voice of Wisdom

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Speaking with a voice of wisdom and reason, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the civil rights movement from 1955 until he was tragically assassinated in 1968.  A Baptist preacher and activist, King was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for using nonviolent resistance to combat racial inequality.

Why nonviolence?

Dr. King had a strong Christian upbringing and faith that influenced his method of gaining equality for black Americans. He was also influenced by the nonviolent movement of Mahatma Gandhi. He chose peaceful marches, boycotts, and protests over riots. He concentrated on facts but also engendered feelings of possibilities and a new future.

His voice of wisdom

In his “I Have a Dream” speech, he pointed out the Emancipation Proclamation freed millions of slaves in 1863. Yet in 1963 when he delivered this speech, he reminded everyone “one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free”. He spoke of leaving behind the years of slavery and hatred and working forward to a land of freedom and equality.

The theme of dreams were not new in his speeches. In a 1960 speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), he pointed to the gap between reality and the American dream. Though King’s speeches had a poetic cadence that enticed his listeners, he didn’t shy from criticizing white supremacists, federal government and state governments and the lack of progress made.

A keen strategist 

King was also a master of strategy and logistics. He planned marches, protests, and opportunities for speaking for maximum results. Colleges, religious gatherings and conferences, in addition to protests, were openings to speak. He made the most of these occasions by speaking to a broader audience. He also spoke with his voice of wisdom to the heart and soul of America as he reminded us of words spoken by Jefferson and Lincoln and the American Dream for all.  

Violence in the midst of peace

Tragically, this wise and peaceful man was killed by an assassin. His life ended far too soon. But the results of his efforts are many, including the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 just days after his death. 

Many did not appreciate Dr. King at the time of his death.  Sadly, a significant portion of America viewed him at the time as a troublemaker.  However, in the decades since his death, his legacy and stature have only grown. He is rightfully recognized today as a great American and champion of peace and equality. His towering speeches now live as an inspiration to generations of Americans born after his passing.

In this difficult time for our nation, America would do well to remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and his nonviolent, yet forceful, means of appealing to our better angels.

Do You Have A Dream?

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Today we commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., who nonviolently protested racial discrimination in federal and state laws. After 15 years of debate, President Ronald Reagan signed a law in 1983 creating a holiday to honor Dr. King. It is observed on the third Monday of January to be close to King’s January 15th birthday. It was eventually officially observed in all 50 states in 2000.

His famous “I have a dream” speech was given in 1963, becoming one of the iconic speeches of American history. While many have never heard or read this speech in its entirety, this is a good day to consider his message. It reflects the words expressed in the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Emancipation Proclamation, that “all men (and women) are guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He was determined that a day when all Americans would walk together is possible. “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

Dr. King recognized that a dream does not just happen, that there must be determination and action. To that end, the federal King Holiday and Service Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, challenges all Americans to use this holiday as an opportunity to provide acts of service in his honor. Thousands of individuals and groups participate in various activities aimed at making a difference in their communities all over America, and at many locations throughout the world.

One man, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made a difference in his short lifetime with his dream put into action. On this day, it is appropriate that each of us think of how we can make a difference to create a better world. One small change, one act, can ripple into affecting institutions – and people – never imagined. What action can you take, not just today, but into the future? What is your dream?

“When we allow freedom to ring – when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.’”