Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I sometimes wish that we could use another word to correlate events such as these(when the word anniversary is mentioned in my opinion it signifies happy times). Do you remember where you were when Dr. King was tragically assasinated on April 4, 1968? The memories that I have are from the stories told to me by my parents(who grew up around the Selma area), watching documentaries and reading books(I was born later of the same year in September). But as I watched CNN last night, I thought to myself, what am I doing to keep the dream alive? Do I appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for me, or do I take them for granted? So many individuals from different races and religions laid down their lives, so that I can live where I live, cast my vote in an election, and even own a small business.

So what can I do, to keep the dream alive? I can start where I am by raising my three children to live not only for themselves; but for others. It is very important that they read biographies of great individuals, excel in math and science..., but I must teach also instill in them to remember their roots and the sacrifices that have been made for them.

So what about you? You can start where you are by sharing your knowledge of expertise in a particular area, saying an encouraging word, becoming a mentor or helping someone in need. I remember a childhood song we would sing in church "Brighten the Corner Where You Are". We can all begin right where we are. So today and everyday, in some way, let us live our lives by keeping the dream alive by brightening our corner of the world. I believe that this is the way that we salute the memory, the dream and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.