Notebook

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Micah Rate
Micah Rate  |  January 15, 2018 11:34 AM

Today, we honor and remember a man who forever changed the course of our nation’s history.

A man now immortalized, whose words and actions continue to teach, inspire and unite.

A man who stood up for the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden, even though in the end, his efforts would ultimately cost him his life.

Though the cards were stacked against him, Martin Luther King refused to back down to racism and adversity. Even while thrown into a prison cell, Martin Luther King did not give up hope and penned the "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."

Martin Luther King was the embodiment of courage, a man who dared to dream of a better future for his children and the nation as a whole. His dream would become a reality and be the beginning of historic advances for the African American community.

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The Reverend gave a voice to the voiceless, and hope to the hopeless. If the federal government did not listen to the abuses and injustices endured by the African American community, it would be forced to hear them. Through the charismatic personality of Martin Luther King, his decisive action, and the power of his words, change came.

To this day, Martin Luther King's words remind us that we are to judge one another by the content of one’s character, not by the color of their skin.

To this day, he reminds us that “ Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

To this day, he reminds us that freedom is not “voluntarily given by the oppressor,” but that freedom “must be demanded by the oppressed.”

In a time when political tensions are high, and discussions of race and racism are in and out of the news cycle, it is important to remember the values that Martin Luther King upheld. May every American stand up to racism and injustice wherever it may be.

If Martin Luther King were alive today, today would be his 89th birthday. This April, it will be 50 years, half a century, since his tragic death. Let's each take the time today to remember one of the greatest men and heroes the world has ever known.