Last year we celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the March on Washington, which is acknowledged as one of the pinnacle points in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have Dream Speech resonates the wish of equality of African-Americans and has been an inspiration to the disenfranchised who also strive for equality. Upon his death it seemed like the movement was going to cease post violent raids and broken hearts. But when the king was dead his queen, Coretta Scott King, rose to the occasion and continued his work alongside Betty Shabazz, the wife of the slain Malcom X. Their unity as depicted in Betty & Coretta showed us that if we had a common goal it did not matter what our faith or backgrounds were. It also revealed (if it was not known before) that Coretta fought for a day to honor her husband which is what we celebrate today.
Situations such as the image of Dr.King being used to promote parties, as seen below, caused an uproar amongst many people and reminds us that we have a long way to go.
However we must acknowledge the lawyers, politicians, doctors, innovators, and more that have changed the world since then and realized their dreams because of Dr. King’s dream. While it took many men and women to get this movement going he became the poster child of hope. Because of that we have certain freedoms that were not deemed possible and many of us are now the poster children of hope in our communities and families. This day serves as a reminder of a charge to keep growing the dream of success, unity, peace, and equality. There will always be someone against you, even if they are in a sense your ‘brother’. However we must continue to believe and dream further for the sake of those before us and those who will come after us.
This is not a day off…it is a day on. Sound off below and tell us what you are doing in your life/community to keep this world changing dream alive.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back…
-Dr. Martin Luther King
I Have A Dream
Inspiration for a nation- ‘The Believer’ by Common feat. John Legend
‘They will talk about us, like they talked about the kings before us…”