How different would our lives be if MLK was not shot 41 years ago today?
"Early morning, April 4 a shot rings out in a Memphis sky. Free at last. Hey they took your life, they could not take your pride. In the name of love..." - U2 from their 1984 smash hit PRIDE-In the name of love
I'm not sure why I have always had a special place in my heart for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Maybe it is because he embodied peace? Perhaps it's because he was a gifted orator. Or simply because he concerned himself with the betterment of our human race. It's likely the combination of all of those things. I remember having to do a report on a famous American in the 5th grade and it was King I chose. I ended up doing 3 more on him before I graduated.
How relevant is his passing to our area in Detroit? We have a racial divide here STILL. Why is that? Why should we possibly care about the color of a person's skin? You and I know both know that wonderful people come in all shapes and colors. Guess what, jerks do too.
It matters not what a person looks like on the outside. It's all about what's inside that counts. We all know that. Heck, we learned that in kindergarten.
Stephanie just presented a different point of view and suggested maybe its his untimely death that helped spread his legacy. I wonder if that's true. I know we really haven't seen a leader like him in the "white, red, black, Hispanic or Asian" community in this country since. Maybe President Obama, time will tell.
What are your thoughts on this? What did MLK and the work he did mean to you?
In an interesting twist of fate Run DMC will be inducted as the first "Rap crew" into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame today. Coincidence?
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I remember hearing his "I have a Dream" speech just after his death.
Dr. King was one of the greatest orators in American history, who rose to fame because of the political and social controversy his life and work sparked. For me and many of my caucasian friends - who had come of age with very little awareness of African-American history - his speeches, and the movement he led, set the tone for a new level of social consciousness. He was bigger than life, better than Lincoln or JFK.
At the time, American brothers, boyfriends, husbands and sons of all races were dying in a senseless, unwinnable war in VietNam. Conflict was high, here and abroad. Dr. King's speeches spoke to our generation on many levels - and not just about racial injustice.
Would he still be cherished today had he not been murdered? I would like to think so, although I agree on one level with Stephanie - his assassination is part of the reason his legacy is so strong. And, that statement does not diminish the importance of his legacy.
Does his life and death have relevance today?
Absolutely.
Have "we, the people" taken the message of his life and death to heart in any way other than to quote snippets of his speeches?
Sometimes I wonder.
Linda Angér, The Write Concept, Inc.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaanger