April 4, 1968 remains a bleak day in history as Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dies outside room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King’s pulse came to a halt due to a single rifle bullet shot by an assassin. Theoretically, however, his heart will never stop beating.
More than three decades later, he still holds the crown as a national leader. The heart of Dr. King continues to remind us of his nonviolent service, movement and dream for “all men to be created equal.”
The assassination of Dr. King, a gunshot heard around the country, produced exactly opposite of his peaceful sermons - a wave of riots in more than 60 cities. This led some to ask the question: “Did the movement die with Dr. King?”
His civil rights movement included extraordinary courage where peace always held precedence. Did the movement die? Can we honestly ask that question as a black man, Barack Obama, holds presidency?
For now, the movement of peace remains a work in progress. Few men can endure severe humiliation, assaults, death-threats, FBI bugging and a bombed home (with wife and children inside) as Dr. King did without inclining toward an “eye for an eye” philosophy. He knew if an “eye for eye” made any sense, we would all be blind. Always nonviolent, Dr. King focused on the peaceful promise toward his people.
In his last speech before his assassination a sense of eerie fortune-telling with unmatching serenity unfolds that is downright admirable:
"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. 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. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man."
Dr. King accepted his fate. At thirty-nine years old he died as a bullet traveled through the side of his neck and down toward his spinal cord. Dr. King’s life may not have been long in numbers, but certainly long in legacy. It’s said that his autopsy revealed he had a heart of a sixty-year-old man. The heart of a king ages quickly when fighting pride, pressure and in his case, prejudice.
Dr. King described his campaign as deliverable with “the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.” We can remember him in the same way, especially this Monday on January 18th, national MLK Day. In addition, let us go forward thereafter with advice from Dr. King himself. Let us champion our causes, whatever they may be, with “a tough mind and a tender heart.” We all have a dream; so let’s climb that mountain and get to the top.
Do you have an inspirational story that you would like to share with the YourCause.com team? Write us at info@yourcause.com.
Related Charities:
|
