Achieving the “Impossible” Goal: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today in the United States is a day to honor and remember the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. In his 39 years, he lived a short but powerful life. By the age of 26, he had earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree, was married, had one child and was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. At age 28 he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organizing black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the pursuit of civil rights reform. He organized and led marches, boycotts, sit-ins and other non-violent protests petitioning for the right of African Americans and people of all races to participate equally in American society, including desegregation of schools and workplaces and obtaining the right to vote. As a result of his protests, he was jailed, his life was constantly threatened and his telephone was tapped by the FBI.
Most famously, he was a key leader in the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” held August 28, 1963 and he was just 34 when he delivered his inspired “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Due in large part to his efforts the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed by the U.S. Congress and still forms the foundation for legal protections against discrimination in the United States today. By the age of 35, he became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He continued to campaign for equality and freedom and opposed the Vietnam War. On April 3, 1968, he delivered an address entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” noting:
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.
–Martin Luther King, Jr. “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” April 3, 1968
The following day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, leaving behind his wife and four children then aged 5 through 13.
He was a man unlike any other before or since. I was not alive during the Civil Rights era and for me and many of my generation it is hard to imagine a time in the United States when blacks and people of other non-white races were treated so inhumanely. It is also hard to imagine that someone so young could have such presence, eloquence and courage to achieve what must have seemed impossible to many.
As we are thinking about goals this month, we can draw tremendous inspiration from Martin Luther King, Jr. There is no bullet point list that captures his energy and spirit but the following ideas are particularly striking. I will use his words as my own fail in comparison:
“I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr., “Acceptance Speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony,” November 10, 1964 (click to listen at the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University)
“[R]ecognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness . . . . [E]verybody can be great because everybody can serve.”
–Martin Luther King Jr., “The Drum Major Instinct,” February 4, 1968 (click to listen at the website for The King Center)
Wishing you an inspired Monday! A reminder that all commenters can receive a Ruly thank you note if you e-mail me your address at info@beruly.com