A true and great man he was

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." - I Have a Dream, 1963

"Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”

MLK

When I was a kid the TV news was full of coverage of the civil rights movement, the marches the reprisals, the church bombings,politicians working for change and others like George Wallace trying to keep us in the dark ages. In the middle of that was Martin Luther King even as a 12 year old I could sense his greatness. In the turbulent era of the sixties his adherence to non violence was admirable. While activists like Stokley Carmichael and Malcom X along with groups like the Black Panthers were calling for violent revolution King held fast to a higher road of protest and change. By the 1970's I was feeling like things had really started to turn around and thought by the time I was the age I am now all that racism would be behind us. I'm sorry to say Dr. King, in the year 2019 we still have a ways to go yet.

Where have all the hero's gone? For me the Freedom riders will always be people I can look up to, King was a great orator and inspired many, the freedom riders took it to the trenches knowing they may not live to see the next day come, and did it anyway!
On high school break one spring, I went to do volunteer maintance at a "retreat" (in Frogmore SC) that King used, and a place he wrote some of his speeches, to see his name signed in the guestbook in his own hand was powerful.

Let me just say that no matter our differences, this thread is truly a great thing to see. Being raised in the rural south and very into cars/trucks my experience in many automotive forums and clubs has been much different than this. Without getting into anything, read that how you will. The folks on this forum are a darn good group!

I'm spending all day today having my students watch a couple of MLK's speeches and reacting in a few paragraphs. So far I've had some good insights come out of my kids.

I'm spending all day today having my students watch a couple of MLK's speeches and reacting in a few paragraphs. So far I've had some good insights come out of my kids.

Kids really are the key if there were a way to stop them from learning hate, racism, etc. Guess you just have to try to educate and hope they choose wisely.