Hero.

This year will mark the the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of the Honorable Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [4/4/1968] and I must say that even though this man gave his heart, soul and ultimately his life for the equal rights of people of color there are many things that we take for granted and there are sooo many things that are still plaguing this dream of his ... and ours.

I think that most will agree that even though we are in the age of high-tech internet connectivity with others from all walks of life that over the past 40 years there are things that still haunt us and keep us from fully realizing that dream of equality.

There are still issues of targeted police brutality against Black men [Sean Bell]. Jim Crow-like segregation [Jena 6]. And just outright bigotry [Michael Richards]. Even our government turning their backs on us [Hurricane Katrina]. I could go on and on but I will just say that we should use this day to remember not just the man but what he stood for and evaluate how we can make a difference in the lives of our family friends and community. Remember to remind these kids out here that equal rights should not be a privilege but a birthright.

There is so much that is owed to MLK and his movement that one cannot really have a legitimate conversation about the race and the fight for racial equality without bringing his name up.... He is a Hero not just for people of color but for all people. Because even though most might not know it, equal rights benefits all races, all genders regardless of class.

And for all that this Nobel Peace Prize Winner [At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement] has accomplished he should be saluted..... not just on a nationally recognized holiday but everyday. He really was our first "unofficial" Black president. A trailblazer, a pioneer, a fighter.. a HERO.

SALUTE!

The KING Center