The Dream Heard Around the World : Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

Racism, colorism, and white supremacy are so tightly woven into the fabric of American society that at this point, racial tension and American culture are practically inextricable.
As long as these problems have existed in this country, brave men and women have risen on behalf of oppressed people of color. These pioneers demanded socioeconomic and political equality, representation in the media, and otherwise basic human rights that were guaranteed to Caucasian people.
At the head of the civil rights movement for African-American people was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and speaker from Atlanta, Georgia.
By 1960, Dr. King had gained notoriety for recognizing the need for African-Americans to organize nationally in order to combat racism. With this goal in mind, King helped to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which harnessed the moral influence and organizational prowess of the black churches across the South. Once this structure was established, King began to turn his focus to gaining access for African-Americans into politics. He chose to do so by fighting for black voting rights; ultimately, his fight led to the ratification of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which finally granted all American citizens the right to participate at the polls.
Besides this monumental achievement, Dr. Martin Luther King is also credited with being a frontrunner in the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott.
After two incidents in which teenager ,Claudette Colvin and seamstress, Rosa Parks refused to give up their Alabama public bus seats for capable white males, Dr. King and other prominent civil rights leaders decided to take action, with the help of black churches.
Their collective efforts led to a public boycott of black patronage on Montgomery’s public bus system. After 382 days, the federal court system ruled to integrate the public transportation systems.
While the reverend was known for his skilled rhetoric and passionate speeches across the country, he was unique in his approach to changing racial tensions in the country: he insisted on nonviolent tactics of resistance.
After traveling to India to walk in the footsteps of pacifist visionary Mahatma Gandhi, King began to believe strongly in the power of nonviolence and civil disobedience in order to reach social goals. Due to the use of nonviolent tactics, the African-American stereotypes perpetuating violence could not be used against the cause of the black people seeking equality.
As this nonviolent movement began in the wake of strong-handed tactics under Malcolm X, the Black Power Movement, and the Black Panther Party, many viewed King’s nonviolent ways as weak, and even suicidal, considering the public hostility that they were facing. Despite these criticisms, King was steadfast in his beliefs. His perseverance earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
In his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech, the pastor spoke of his vision: a world in which all of his children could be judged according to their inward character, as opposed to their skin color.
As the “Father of the Civil Rights Movement,” Dr. King has been rightly lauded and praised for his exemplary social work. In fact, his work has created a legacy so commendable that nothing, not even his private flaws, could detract from it.
Nursing major Alexis Jones noted that King’s personal battles merely made him more relatable and inspirational as a role model. “While Dr. King had problems, he was a good example of how much a person could achieve,” she said.
Freshman mechanical engineering major, Myrin Williams, echoed this sentiment. “Dr. Martin Luther King was the embodiment of everything a young black man would aspire to be—he was truly inspirational.”
Though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 without seeing his dream fully realized, his vision continues to resonate around a country currently embroiled in the same struggles of King’s era. Today, we continue to fight adamantly against racism and white supremacy, using Dr. King’s vision as a guide for the future we need.