Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced my political thinking more than any other, and I was fortunate to have worked under him on Vietnam Summer and to have been present at two of his greatest speeches. Many thinks have changed since those days. Northern Republicans were often progressive. Southern Democrats, aka Dixiecrats, deserted the party because of Dr. King’s successes and are now the Republican base. But both his Dream and the need for his opposition to wars of aggression remain. To celebrate his like, I have video of “I Have a Dream”, delivered in Washington Mall on August 28, 1063 and audio of “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”, delivered in New York on April 4, 1967.
I Have a Dream – Text
Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence – Text
The dream still lives. Keeping it alive is our responsibility.
4 Responses to “MLK: As We Remember the Man, the Dream Remains”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Amen, TC. It must have been amazing to be there in person to hear MLK speak. And yes, his dream is yet to be fulfilled, sadly. We must “take up the torch” from others’ hands. Interesting how the parties’ roles reversed since those days but the North continues to be more progressive and the south, less so. It probably all goes back to the Civil War – a war that never really ended, it seems.
Mimi, I can’t really find the words to describe the way that man could evoke feeling. Obama comes closest in recent years, but even he cannot not hold a candle to MLK.
I think it ended. They just refuse to recognize it.
I wish I could have been in your shoes. This is a link to part of his last speech which has always cut to my heart. I can’t watch it without gtting the feeling that somehow he knew.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8
That was a great one too, Leslie. Thanks. I know he knew. To.ward the end of Vietnam summer at an organizational meeting, I found myself walking next to him in a hallway. He knew all our names, even though there were a couple dozen of us. He told me that he was glad that there were young people willing to carry on the struggle, because he did not expect to be around much longer. I asked if he meant J Edgar, and he smiled a knowing smile.