Had he not been taken from us so young, being only 39 years old, Dr. Martin Luther King would have been a senior citizen today.  His commitment to non-violent, direct action to address our country’s sad history of race relations is now acknowledged worldwide as one of America’s greatest achievements in the last century.  Dr. King rightfully stands with other great American leaders who helped to lead us to the better nation that we have become.

In celebrating his birth and leadership today, accounts of that period sometimes minimize the resistance there was to Dr. King’s push for equal rights.  Dr. King was a leader who swam upstream against opposition from bitter foes and opposition from fearful or impatient allies. He had opposition from those within and from those without.  In discussing this great leader today, there are many attributes I could highlight.  Today, I want to honor his perseverance.

Significant change never comes easy! When you add the weight of history, human emotion, conflicting values, and ingrained belief systems, change can seem impossible. Dr. King never faltered in his belief, however, that change was not only possible but also that its time had come. His rise to national prominence began when he was only 26 years old and a  leader for the Montgomery Bus Boycott that began with Rosa Park’s refusal to surrender her bus seat to a White Man. At that time, Dr. King gave voice to the Boycott and introduced himself to the nation with the following words:

We have no alternative but to protest.  For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our White brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice.

Many did not agree with Dr. King’s leadership strategy. His bitter foes resorted to violence to maintain the status quo with beatings and killings. Their victims included slain Black and White civil rights martyrs like James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Henry Schwerner and slain innocent bystanders like the Birmingham bombing victims Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley.

His allies too often disagreed with his approach with political leaders and some White supporters viewing his direct action as unnecessary provocation. Blacks were not united in their support of Dr. King either with some viewing his approach as making things worse than they already were while others viewed his approach as weak and unrealistic.

Leading in this environment had to be lonely and painful for Dr. King. Yet, he persevered and remained committed to his values as true leaders do. He believed that we are all created equal and that America could fulfill this dream. Though it cost him his life he remained hopeful as he said in some of his last words from his address in Memphis shortly before his assassination:

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. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

What would Dr. King think of us today?  There are many who knew him who can speak with authority on this question.  As one of millions today who was a witness to the turbulent times of the 60’s, I can only speak from my perspective. It’s based on what I knew of him then and on what I have come to learn about him since his death.  As a leader, I believe Dr. King would have two conflicting emotions.  He would be very proud and very concerned.

As a leader, he would be very proud of the evolution we have made as a society and of the many ways we live and work together everyday as Americans regardless of our race. As a leader, he would also be very concerned about the growing poverty in this country among all races and the bitter rhetoric that is too frequent in our communication today.  As an elder, he would identify ways in which we all could do better. He would encourage us by acknowledging that we have made great progress in fulfilling his dream.  He would caution us by reminding us that the dream is not totally fulfilled.

It’s hard to imagine the better America that we have become without the perseverance of Dr. King. It’s hard to imagine the better America we will become unless we too have the perseverance of Dr. King.

Speech Excerpts Source: Encyclopedia Britannica