On Martin Luther King Day

I have been very fortunate to have lived several of my too many years in the south. For eight Martin Luther King Days I called DFW home, and part of that extended experience was to learn from first hand accounts the effects that segregation and racism had on so many of its people.

Growing up in the north I'm not certain if in my youth I was even aware of "white" and "colored" drinking fountains. I do not remember church bombings, lunch counter sit downs, or vast civil rights marches taking place through streets supervised by the likes of Bull Connor. I had never even heard of Juneteenth or of the Tuskegee Airmen.

In fact, while I could never verify it, it is possible that the first time I had ever heard of a man named Martin Luther King, Jr. was on the day of his assassination.

King's contribution to black America, and indeed all of America, are today widely recognized. While his vision is still far from realized, it is a testament to his spirit and beliefs that today we celebrate a day named in his honor.

King's two most recognized works, I Have A Dream and Letter From Birmingham Jail can be found at the links provided via the Patriot Post.