newYou can listen to the Fox News article!
August 28, 2024 marks the 61st anniversary of my uncle, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., delivering his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On this anniversary, we should reflect on his timeless words and what the American Dream still looks like today.
I believe that if Dr. King were still alive today, he would remind all Americans that we are one race, and he would repeat his assertion in St. Louis in 1964 that if we do not learn to live together as brothers and sisters, we will perish as fools.
He would emphasize that the content of our character matters and that skin color should be celebrated as a unifier, not a club to divide us.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks to reporters at the Lincoln Memorial, clutching his speech to his chest, on August 28, 1963. (Bob Parent/Getty Images)
Remember his own words: “When the framers of our republic wrote the great words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American would inherit. That promissory note was a promise that all people — yes, black people as well as white people — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The full text of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech
My uncle was above all a patriot. He understood that the ideals of our founding were the key to black liberation and freedom for all people. He didn’t want us to turn our backs on our ancestors or reject the ideals of our Constitution. Instead, he called that heritage our “promissory note.”
Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, including Whitney Young, standing left, John Lewis, fourth from the right, and A. Philip Randolph, seated center. (National Archives/Newsmakers)
But he also pointed out that America originally gave its black citizens checks marked “insufficient funds.” Our nation’s charter includes the keys to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all its citizens, but he knew that promise to African Americans had not yet been fully fulfilled.
But King also said his dreams were “deeply rooted in the American Dream.” He dreamed that one day “this nation would 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.'”
That dream lives on today, and it is our job to continue to move forward toward my uncle’s lofty goal.
President John F. Kennedy met with organizers and leaders of the March on Washington at the White House on August 28, 1963.
Click here to read more FOX News Opinion
Today, that progress looks like the opportunity and dignity that comes from investing in forgotten communities and empowering the underserved. That includes protecting the lives of all peoples, from the womb to the grave. It means investing in education and supporting school choice so that all children, regardless of their background or the circumstances of their birth, can achieve the American Dream.
My uncle’s dream lives on, but we must fight for it every day to ensure that current and future generations experience the American promise that Dr. King spoke of. We must remember and remind every generation, every age, and every platform of the strength of the eternal Christian virtues of faith, hope and love.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at a rally in Lakeview during a tour of Long Island, New York, on May 12, 1965. (Alan Leier/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
As people of faith, we are called to share our joy with others, to live our faith in public, and to vote for Christian values at the ballot box.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“This year marks the 61st anniversary of my uncle’s groundbreaking speech, and the release of my new song, “In Atlanta,” reminds us that that dream is still alive. A few years ago, I recorded a song called “Let Freedom Ring,” in which I thanked God that my uncle’s dream is still alive.
Let us remember my uncle’s dream and pray for God’s grace to redeem the shortfall check, so that only then can we be a nation that truly values life, from the womb to the grave and beyond.
To read more from Alveda King click here
