A lasting legacy, inspiration and hope - From Dr. King to President-elect Obama
On August 2, 1983, the U.S. House of Representatives approved law to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday on the third Monday in January. The U.S. Senate approved the bill, and on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. The first observance of Dr. King's birthday as a legal national holiday was on January 20, 1986.
As we celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, we are also on the eve of an unprecedented 4 million people descending into Washington, DC from all parts of the world to witness what many describe as the fulfillment of his dream.
It's quite amazing to think how far the US has come in terms of race relations since the days of the civil rights struggle led by Dr. King. Just think, in August 1963 an interracial crowd of more than 250,000 people attended the March on Washington, during which Dr. King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Monument. On January 20, 2009, on the opposite end of the National Mall, on the steps of the Capitol, President-elect Obama will be sworn in as the first African American president in US history.
There are many who see Barack Obama's achievements as the fulfillment and legacy of Dr. King's dream. His delivery in his speeches quite prophetic and reminiscent of King himself. It has been recognised globally that President-elect Obama is being judged solely on the content of his character, his wisdom and his brilliance and not on the color of his skin. Could anything be more representative of the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream than that? If Dr. King was here today, he would looking down proud of the fact his dream has been fulfilled - in less than a generation no doubt.
Happy birthday Dr. King.
Posted at 09:51 19 January 2009 by Eddie Burke | Comments[0]
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