I first visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at night, the best time I’ve found by far to visit the memorials and monuments in DC. If you have not yet been, I encourage you to visit. A colleague from Africa told me long ago that night was the only time he visited monuments and memorials as well, because of the majestic appearance of them against a dark sky and the calm nature of the visitors. I agree. There’s something about the quiet reflection that the evening hours encourage.
Today the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington DC was held. My life has been made a little easier because of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, but it was because of what his life meant to my parents that I attended today. My parents faced segregation, Jim Crow and the civil turmoil that accompanied the struggle for equal rights and justice for all. My mother attended the March on Washington, and my Father, who rests in heaven, participated in lunch counter sit ins and had food thrown at him.
Dr. Kings’ daughter, Bernice King spoke a message today resonated deeply with me. She said, and I paraphrase, that we must consider that perhaps the reason the dedication didn’t happen as planned back in August was because instead of resting on the anniversary of history, we must recognize that true change requires us to move forward. Today, Dr. King and living representatives of the Civil Rights Movement were recognized for blazing the trail, sacrificing their safety and even losing their lives. In turn they encouraged the rest of us to continue working for equality and justice for all regardless of race, creed or ethnicity. I’m so happy that I could attend the dedication on my parents’ behalf, and to lay eyes on the promise that reminds me that our work continues.
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