January 15, 2007

Today is the day when America takes a moment to remember the life and vision of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His legacy lives on in this great country, his desire that all would be judged “by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin,” and his passion for justice makes us all pause for just a moment and look around to see whether or not we are living up to his legacy.

For me, Dr. King represents the realization of the American dream that says every individual American citizen has the power to affect change.  Dr. King was not a perfect man, which only serves to underscore the fruits of his labor.  Men and women throughout this country live in a more free society as a result of his work and his legacy.

Dr. King was an extraordinary man.  While those around him were advocating for all-out violence and bloodshed to fill the streets, he calmly quoted St. Francis of Assisi, embracing the alternative non-violent protests.  Dr. King’s willingness to stand alone among a crowd of men and women screaming out for violence, and to fight through demonstration and some of the most eloquent and beautiful oratory this nation has ever seen, is part and parcel to why his efforts to fight racial injustice were successful.

Dr. King leaves behind a nation that is better off because of him; my prayer is that we continue to struggle to right wrongs and to fight racial bigotry wherever it may be found in a way that not only Dr. King would find acceptable, but in a manner that honors the Constitution. 

Today, we all thank God for Dr. King.

Denise