Fifty two years ago today I had “cleaned up for Gene”, sort of, and was working on his campaign, while fighting to keep SDS nonviolent. Back then, the world was not connected the way it it now. I did not watch TV every day, so I did not learn until sometime the next day that my hero and friend had been murdered. Barack Obama joined John Lewis in a tribute to his legacy.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, and Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of his death. In order to commemorate the occasion, Barack Obama discussed MLK’s legacy with John Lewis and a group of high school students in a new video released by the Obama Foundation.
At the beginning of the video, Lewis recalls where he was when he got the news that King had been shot — in Indianapolis, organizing a rally. Obama tells students from Washington, D.C.’s Ron Brown College Preparatory High School that Lewis was one of the people who made him want to become involved in public life.
“I thought that this would be a good opportunity to connect the people who inspired me with the next generation of young leaders who are going to be doing outstanding things themselves,” Obama tells the students, whose all-male high school grew out of the Obama administration‘s My Brother’s Keeper initiative…
Inserted from <Bustle>
Here’s that video.
Civil Rights leaders remembered him in a CNN interview.
The previous summer I was walking down the hallway after a planning session for one of Dr. King’s Vietnam Summer demonstrations. Dr. King appeared between two of us and told us how glad he was that young people were dedicated to continue the work after he was gone. I felt surprised and asked, “Gone?” He said that he was stirring-up a hornets nest didn’t know how long he would be allowed to live. In the naivety of youth, I assumed he was kidding.
He was right, of course. If he had stuck with civil rights, he might have died of old age. But when he also organized so effectively against the war, and for the poor, he was threatening billionaires’ profit.
It boggles my mind that this was over fifty years ago. That confronts me with my own mortality.
I’ll hope you’ll invest 43 minute to listen to his last speech, in which he predicted his own death.
RESIST!!
5 Responses to “52 Years Ago”
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Certain historical incidents stay in one’s mind. Like this on for you.
I remember this day like it was yesterday.
My father talked to us when this happened, so very sad.
Love the video of President Obama and Congressman John Lewis sharing the
history, and speaking to the younger generation(s).
I really have nothing to add except that great minds often fall in the same ditch. I have been pushing Joe Lowery’s memory this week (he went on to be an LGBTQ ally for a great deal of thet fifty years.) Thank you for this.
The Rev. Dr. King is one of my favorite figures in history. He may have been far from perfect, but it would be hard to overrate his importance in U.S. history, at least during the 20th century. Other people might have taken his place as a civil rights leader, but very few could have matched his charisma or eloquence.
Love computers. I typed my response and went to submit, no WiFi. Cute.
Dr. King was a man with real dignity.
He did so much for us. Leading us through all of the rallies and marches to fight for our rights.
Thinking of the people, not just himself.
No one will ever replace Dr. King.
He shall always be remembered,
Great videos.
The good die young. Let’s hope their legacy is carried on by others. Thank you for posting, TomCat.