As I look back at the photographs and news footage of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I rarely find one that is in color. Ironically enough, his life is often portrayed in black and white, as was the struggle of his time. Yet his life was, and still is, so full of historic, life-changing, and colorful moments in history. We gather every year, from coast to coast, to celebrate the birthday and legacy of this iconic, modern day King David who often stood as a giant among many United States history makers.
Dr. King’s legacy was far beyond just striving to create
balance among racial divides. It was about advocating, as opposed to fighting,
for peace and justice for the “underdog” so that black people could get an
education, get fair wages, or just get a front seat on the bus. What is
remarkable about it is that he did it through strategic and thoughtful means of
preparation and organization. More
importantly, he did it with peace and God’s love always in mind – even in a
nation where some only saw the color of his skin not his intellect, not his
god-fearing message, not his humanity, not his leadership, not his power of
speech, and certainly not his greatness.
His non-violent approach was not always received as such; he and his
followers were often greeted by water hoses, angry dogs, brutal beatings at the
hands of police officers, and handcuffs that resulted in jail time.
The United States of America is known as, “the land of
the free and the home of the brave” yet we have been plagued and marked with
numerous cowardly acts of violence and hatred in our historic timeline: the 1963 16th Street Baptist
Church bombings in Birmingham, Alabama, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the 1999
Columbine High School Massacre, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the
2007 Virginia Tech massacre, and even the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. We, as a nation, have
demonstrated that we can rise to the occasion in a unified voice and put aside
differences in the face of adversity and certainly in the face of tragedy and
grief. In King’s own words, “The
ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” All of
these events show, without a doubt, that regardless of race, when we hurt the
tears still flow abundantly and clearly; regardless of color, the blood still flows
red; regardless of religious beliefs and faith walks, we all desire to love and
be loved; and regardless of socioeconomic status and gender, we must all seek
and embrace forgiveness to find true peace. Dr. King was only 39-years-old when he died. Had he lived, he would have been celebrating his 83rd birthday this year. Since his death, we have seen part of his dream come to pass in the election of the first African-American president, Barack Obama. Yet, there’s still work to do. This is why we still march in honor of his dream in the frigid, winter air on the third Monday of January of every year. This is why his legacy still matters to those who are still standing on the battlefields for the sake of injustice, inequality and, yes, racism.
Dr. King is, and perhaps will always be, the greatest leader in Civil Rights Movements. While his voice was silenced in 1968, his words, his spirit, and his legacy continue to speak loudly to the masses. As we continue to reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrate Black History Month, and work toward reconciliation and healing at Berea College, we must all strive to be ambassadors for social change and to do it with honor.
Charliese
Brown Lewis
Written
January 14, 2012The Pinnacle, Vol. 157, Issue 8
Unfortunately, our historic timeline also includes that, as a nation, we've suffered and survived through the Aurora Movie Theater shooting and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting...in the same year I wrote the original article.
Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
How our five-year-old sees Dr. King...
Dr. King challenged us all to dream BIG...
Photo credit: www.eurweb.com
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