A salute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 2023 marked the 94th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and in honor of his birthday, we've penned a letter of gratitude to this Christian warrior, hero, Nobel Peace Prize recipient; a man for the people, who played a pivotal role in the lives of all of us... A man that risked and sacrificed his life so that we could ALL experience freedom and equality.
Dr. King,
We thank you for all that you gave and sacrificed in the name of civil rights for all. White it seems as though the two simple words 'thank you' are simply not enough, these two words mean a lot, so we...
Thank you for paving the way for our first Black President, Barack Obama...
Thank you for all that you sacrificed to make it possible for our first female, Black, Asian Pacific Vice President a reality...
Thank you for setting a STRONG example with your non-violent actions, peaceful marching which is still the way we demonstrate to this day...
Thank you for the many speeches that gave us hope then, and continue to give us hope now... Thank you for the quotes that invoke thoughts, conversations and yes, even realities... Thank you for giving Colin Kaepernik's of the world the courage to take a knee... Thank you for show Reverend Warnock that it is NOT impossible to become the pastor of a well-know church that you once co-pastored for years, but also to become a U.S. Senator from the southern state of Georgia ... Thank you for setting an example for our youth of today, including my own to know the meaning of can't stop, won't stop until equality and justice are on the side of not one group of us, but ALL of us ...
Thank you for being an inspiration to the world! Some of my favorite quotes of yours that I strive to live by;
"The time is always right to do what is right..."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere..."
"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward..."
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?" "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter..."
We celebrate you sir, as your life and legacy marks you as one of the most well respected civil rights leaders of our time. You are beyond an icon, in my mind, you are a HERO on so many levels.
While things are better today than the days that you were alive, we are still marching, praying, fighting (non-violently) for racial equality and will not stope until the deed is done. You'd be proud sir of the young activists out there leading the charge, as they are following in your footsteps and do so proudly.
While we still have a ways to go as a country, it is my belief and that of so many others, that "we shall overcome someday." Again, we thank you sir for your life, your efforts, your sacrifices and now, your legacy. You will live on in our hearts and daily practices in fighting the good fight until racial equality is felt and experienced by everyone.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY and continue to rest well "KING."