Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., observed annually on the third Monday of January (even though his actual birthday was January 15, similarly to how other holidays are celebrated under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act). The holiday celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy.
Although King was assassinated more than 50 years ago in Memphis, Tenn., where he had joined striking sanitation workers, his selfless actions and inspiring words live on.
It is around this time of year that many people pause to consider the true legacy of Dr. King. Some will conjure up his nearly endless wisdom-packed, insightful, and prophetic words as evidence of his greatness: “You can kill the dreamer but not the dream,” “The impossible just takes a little longer,” or perhaps, in retrospect, his most chilling words, uttered at the Mason Temple in Memphis more than 54 years ago, where he spoke on behalf of striking sanitation workers who were protesting their meager wages of $1.65 an hour and deplorable working conditions. It was there that he said, “I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” He was assassinated the next day.
Indeed, civil rights, voters’ rights, and workers’ rights are intertwined. King knew this and ultimately died fighting for equality and dignity in the workplace. As we celebrate his birth and prepare for February’s Black History Month commemorations, we must consider the obvious question: How far have we really come in turning King’s momentous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech at the National Mall into a reality?
Some would say the answer is just as obvious as the question: not far enough. Regrettably, there have been many telling examples of this through the years. One that stands out among them is the April 3, 2018, commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of King, when an adorable little 9-year-old girl came to the mic, standing on a box to reach it. She was greeted with thunderous applause as an overflowing crowd waited to hear what she had to say. Little Yolanda King, standing in the very same spot where her grandfather stood 54 years before, did not disappoint.
Referring to her grandpa’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, she told the crowd that she had a dream of her own. She said: “This should be a gun-free world. PERIOD!” From the stage, she could see thousands of people, many of them not too much older than her. They carried signs reading “Enough Is Enough” and “Stop Killing Us.” She went on to lead the crowd in the roaring chant, “Spread the word. Have you heard? All across the nation, we are going to be a great generation.”
Later, in an interview on CNN, Yolanda was asked what her grandfather would have thought about other current protest movements, such as “Black Lives Matter,” “Me Too,” and “DACA.” She said her grandfather would be so amazed to see all these people coming together.
It is interesting to note that with all three major TV networks at the time (ABC, CBS, and NBC) airing King’s speech, and although he was already a national figure by then, it was the first time many Americans—reportedly including President John F. Kennedy—had heard him deliver an entire speech.
Kennedy was assassinated less than three months later, but his successor, Lyndon Johnson, would go on to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law, marking the most significant advances in civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
With so many challenges confronting us today, some new, others lingering for decades, an assessment of King’s true legacy is obscured and made even more difficult to accurately define. Obviously, hate and hostility have not gone away—some might even argue that they have escalated as a national norm. From political campaigns to school board meetings, vitriol is spewed with few or no recriminations. The old admonishment, ”We can disagree without being disagreeable,” seems no longer to apply.
There is, however, one theme of King’s teachings that does bind all his accomplishments together and serves as an important “next step” in the Civil Rights Movement: to inspire people to do what’s right when they have been wronged. He taught us to draw upon the best instincts of each generation and work past the noise and distractions.
Some forget, minimize, or ignore the fact that, while his actions and protests used civil disobedience and peaceful demonstrations to get their message across, violence was ever-present. Yet, people still came together and continue to do so today.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiration keeps the dream alive. Yolanda was right. He’d be amazed at how many people—from so many different backgrounds—are tuned in and turned on to trying to make the impossible happen.