When asked to think of a time period in America in which equality was a work-in-progress, many of us recall the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which ended 50 years ago last week, on April 4, 1968. Dr. King challenged societal views in the ’60s through his vision of desegregation and racial harmony, and his dream is one that we should still call upon marches, arms linking together, to challenge the current social issues of the nation today.
Dr. King, shot and killed by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in 1968, was rallying for sanction workers who were calling upon their unsafe conditions during his last hour. Dr. King’s final moments were spent on the balcony of that motel, advocating against injustice, and his assassin robbed not only Dr. King of his own life, but America of one of the greatest civil rights leaders to exist.
Before his death, Dr. King battled racism tirelessly, touching on more discreet aspects of the institution such as poverty and income inequality. When remembering Dr. King’s work in these areas, it’s important to also acknowledge that many of these drawbacks still exist in 2018.
Dr. King’s life and the achievements should be celebrated, but the work that still has to be done should be noted as well. Though the words spoken by Dr. King just over 50 years feel like sentiments of the past, it’s crucial to observe how relevant they still are. To observe how uncomfortable the division of race and class in America remains.
But Dr. King’s words are the reason for our progress; teaching us by not only the things he did, but also the things he said. He taught love, acceptance, and to speak with conviction. Those actions and those words helped put people of color in elected positions, and eventually elected a black man as president. A growing LGBTQIA+ community prevails in ways unseen before just as worldwide protests, such as the Women’s March and March for Our Lives, collect astonishing numbers of voices. All of these are building blocks into something greater. It’s so important to note these achievements as well.
Dr. King’s words are not emotions frozen in the past, but, rather, the same attitudes which marginalized communities have today.
So, let us set these 50 years as a halfway point instead of a finish line.
May we continue to teach acceptance, love, equality, and continue to fight for those who have been silenced, while doing so in ways that are courageous and brave so that on the 100-year anniversary of Dr. King’s death, we can say with confidence that, what was once a dream, is finally a reality.