Remembering the dream

January 22, 2019 | (10) Comments

On Monday, communities throughout the nation paused to remember the tireless efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to celebrate his rich legacy. In honor of Dr. King, I’d like us to remember his selfless actions and powerful words. In the video linked below, I’m sharing a brief excerpt of his soul-stirring “I have a dream” speech and just a few of his quotes that continue to guide me to this very day.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. video

Through peaceful actions and with infinite courage, Dr. King led a movement that forever changed the world. And even today, his memory and his words are like a balm that both soothes and inspires.

I hope you enjoyed Martin Luther King Day and that you paused, if only for a moment, to remember his dream.

10 Responses to “Remembering the dream”

  1. Wes Moulden

    I cannot adequately express how proud and thankful I am to be able to work in and contribute to an organization where the culture embodies the “Dream” expressed so eloquently by Dr. King so many years ago. A big THANK YOU to all of our colleagues for working to make the Dream a Reality each day!

  2. Sherry Vetter

    Mark, Thank you for this wonderful tribute. Martin Luther King was a peaceful leader who demonstrated in a loving way that we are all equal in God’s eyes. If every person on Earth would embrace that truth, what a peaceful place the world would be.
    – Sherry Vetter

  3. Eden McCleskey

    My son is in kindergarten and the other day he said “Mommy, can you BELIEVE that a long long time ago people used to not be able to play with other people just because of the color of their skin? It’s just so ridiculous, I can’t even believe it.” It was really wonderful to hear how incredulous he was about this and how unfair he thought it was. I told him that his grandparents lived through it and then he discussed it with them. It was one of those “parenting moments” where you can tell you’re always going to remember it, because you see a whole new dimension of your kid open up. It gave me optimism for the future that hopefully millions more children are being raised to STICK WITH LOVE and DO WHAT IS RIGHT than to bear the burden of hate. Thank you for this lovely video and for giving our organization the day to stop and remember all that we gained thanks to this man and the heroes who fought this fight.

  4. Olga Chen

    What does the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr mean to me? His legacy allows me to make true choices of where I work, where I live, who I love, and how I will raise my kids. I’m grateful for MLK Jr. legacy.

  5. Carol A. Smith

    Many years ago, I read a quote by a famous author. It read…..I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. To me, this quote reflects the wisdom Dr. Martin Luther King embodied as he prayed for and encouraged peace and acceptance!
    And, Mr. Wallace, I so thank you for your great “leadership” and having the compassion to keep “hope” alive within our TCH organization.

  6. Nan Ybarra

    My favorite Dr. King sermon is “Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution” It is an absolute blueprint for leadership. Toward the end of the sermon Dr. King states,

    “One day a newsman came to me and said, “Dr. King, don’t you think you’re going to have to stop, now, opposing the war and move more in line with the administration’s policy? As I understand it, it has hurt the budget of your organization, and people who once respected you have lost respect for you. Don’t you feel that you’ve really got to change your position?” I looked at him and I had to say, “Sir, I’m sorry you don’t know me. I’m not a consensus leader. I do not determine what is right and wrong by looking at the budget of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. I’ve not taken a sort of Gallup Poll of the majority opinion.” Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.

    On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right?

    There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.”

    What a timely message and I think this every single year when I listen to it again-

    Thank you!

    Nan

  7. Angela Gooden

    Thank you for always leading by example. It’s hard to imagine the level of selfless courage it took for Dr. King to lead change, but I’m so glad he did. I hope his legacy continues to be a source of truth for many years to come.

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