As we approach the Dr. Martin Luther King day holiday, I reflect on the phenomenon that would become the civil rights movement with which Dr. King would become the most prominent public face. We celebrate the life of a man whose dream and force of personality propelled the Civil Rights Movement to the eventual destruction of the evils of segregation. In the summer of 1963, 250,000 people showed up on the Mall in Washington, DC to hear Dr. King speak. The importance of his speech that day was its impact and, importantly, why it had an effect. The address was effective because rather than talking about what needed to change, he talked about why. He appealed to the assembly's sensibilities and put his dream, a shared dream, into the hearts of those present.
"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 that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood... I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."
250,000 Americans showed up on that day, before the internet and cellphones, to listen to Dr. King speak not for him but for themselves. They carried their dreams forward into a wave that would change our country forever. The root of Dr. King's influence was his ability to affect people to make their goals drive the movement because rather than lead them, he inspired them. That was why it was called the "I have a dream" and not the "I have a plan" speech.
While we celebrate the accomplishment of an influential leader, we should remember that the work of the civil rights movement was done by multitudes who lived their dreams and fought the good fight. It seems given the daily news that our country needs reminders of its founding premises lately. Be assured that the work to heal our continued divisions will come one person at a time.
I listen to Story Corps as often as possible and have used it to have great discussions with my children. The video below is one of my favorites and is timely, given the holiday. I hope all Eagles can rest, relax and reflect.
Luis De La Garza
Principal Woodlawn Academy.
