Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.
Have you seen Martin?
I know. That sounds like an odd question. However, the truth of the matter is; we do see him in so many of the things we now take for granted and do without giving a second thought. Like dining in any place of our choice or shopping where we like; or coming home and using a key in a door that we choose to live behind; or work on a job that we aspired to and not had to settle for; or vote; when, where and for whom we please. So the next time anyone asks, have you seen Martin; the answer is ABSOLUTELY, yes.
Martin took his first breath on January 15, 1929 and over the span of his short life, he helped our nation to breathe a little freer and a little easier. Martin once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I say Martin built staircases with every step he took.
A testament to how inspiring this world figure was is that almost every major city in the United States has a school or a street named after him. From the footsteps he laid in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott of 1956. The organization he helped create in 1957 The Southern Christian leadership Conference (SCLC). It was instrumental in the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. To the light he shined on the massive protest of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, the 250,000 people that walked in lock step with him in 1963 where Washington DC, stood still long enough to hear about one man’s dream. Right down to the eye opening vision of over 200,000 people marching and singing through streets that were fired up in many ways as the sun delivered a temperature of 82 degrees by 10:30 am on that day in Atlanta, Georgia in 1968. That made a difference for us all.
Martin Luther King Jr. was co-pastor alongside his father for almost a decade at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. This charismatic leader was Man of The Year in 1963 and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Martin Luther King was taken from us on April 4, 1968 at the age of 35. His life made a difference for us all.
As we celebrate and remember him on his birthday, many people will speak of helping others in his honor. For those of us that were here during his life, we were most fortunate to witness such a leader that not only touched the lives of so many during his live but helped change and improve the life’s of generations to come.
As I reflect on all that this man meant to our nation and wonder what can I do in my little sphere that will matter. I thought about my goal for 2010; that is to inspire others to reach their goals. I intend to do just that. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled over six million miles and made over twenty five hundred speeches as well as wrote five books; Stride toward Freedom (1959), Strength to Love (1963), Why We Can’t Wait (1963), Where Do We Go from Here (1957) and The Trumpet of Conscience (1968).
I challenge myself and offer you a challenge as well. Can we travel across the street or around the corner and speak to someone that may only need an encouraging word from us to help him or her take the next step towards reaching their goals? Will we make a difference?