Stone of Hope
On August 28, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a rousing 17-minute speech known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom). Many refer to this as the moment when the movement for civil rights was defined in America. How apropos that 48 years ago this week, a monument to this American, actually global, icon opens to the public.
“The entire memorial invokes the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the visual experience of place, reinforced by the full range of sensory perception, the metaphorical use of water, stone and other landscape elements, the powerful display of passages from his sermons and speeches and the appearance of his physical image in the ‘Stone of Hope’.” ~ from the website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation
Today I was a part of HIStory. Today I had an opportunity to participate in the recognition of a culminating event most won’t understand until HIStory is “properly” written. Today the members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. held a private dedication ceremony to pay homage to the completion of an awesome task. As hundreds sat hammered by the rays of the sun, we could only marvel that less than 24 hours before the rains poured down. Moreover, meteorologists were predicting that in less than 24 hours Hurricane Irene would pummel the United States’ Eastern seaboard with her might. But as Past General President Adrian Wallace noted during the program, it was only heaven shedding tears of joy for such a momentous act on behalf of a well deserving “King.”
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As a fraternity member who personally contributed on several occasions, it was emotionally gratifying to see the vision of a few Brothers finally brought to fruition. With less than $5 million remaining to reach the full total necessary to build and maintain the memorial, the investments and sacrifices made by many an Alpha man, members of the general public and corporate sponsors, should serve as an example of how important Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is to the world.
Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America’s potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents. ~ from the website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation
Many have recounted what Dr. King has meant to them; how he’s been an inspiration to their life’s work. While most might only know of his work with and within the civil rights movement, by the time he reached what we refer to as his untimely death, Dr. King was working towards the economic and social improvements for all – Negro, Black, Caucasian, Indian, Latino/a, Asian-Pacific Islander, or whatever ethnicity one might claim. He had a keen understanding that no matter what else went on in a person’s life, to deny them an opportunity to pursue the “American Dream” of “freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness” in an uninhibited manner, equality and social justice will never truly exist. Its this mindset that has endeared him to generations around the world.
What’s amazing, though, is how some comment that Martin Luther King, Jr. is undeserving of a recognition of this magnitude. To those I ask, who then, in the history of the United States of America has done more to inspire a global people? Remember, monuments are built to honor the dead, but are for the benefit of the living. Don’t live in a perpetual dream-state, but act upon what your conscious (that “little voice” we tend to ignore) tells you is the right thing to do.
Today, HIStory has a new chapter. Be a part of it.