I+Have+a+Dream

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KING

** Read the essay from [|**TIME 100 - Martin Luther King**] **. As you do, respond to the following questions **Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?**  King is usually recognized as the leader in the movement for equality, but this author feels King should also be recognized for "freeing" white. The author feels King liberated white from the ancient "hypocrisy about race".
 * Was King "the right man at the right time"?** Yes! King was the perfect man to lead the movement for equality to a complete victory. King's preacher background, physical courage, and strong belief in non-violence made him the perfect candidate to lead the movement. These qualities and King's background caused him to be a moving speaker, unwavering in his beliefs (non-violence) and leadership despite the death threats, and a passion that could not be quenched. At the same time, King appeared when the movement for quality was at its pinnacle. The combination of the two led to the movement being a complete win.

** Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not? ** Yes, King's line—"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"—has been used in ways it was not initially intended to be used and King would not have approved. As the article points out, people like California's Ward Connerly are using the quote to go against "affirmative action." King would not have joined those like Connerly in their "nationwide crusade against 'racial preferences'." People like Connerly distort the true meaning of the beautiful quote and twist it into something different. To a certain degreee, King's quote should not be "used" in any way besides in King's speech. This quote is sacred and should be treated as so. King's quote had such an impact on the world and it should not be used in other contexts but instead preserved in it's rightful home (MLK's speech) where it can be foreve admired and remembered for it's importance and impact in history.

MEMORIALS

There are many memorials to King around the United States, and there will soon be a new one in Washington D.C.! Check out some of the links below, and look at the video of the new National Memorial.


 * || [|Washington, DC, **Martin Luther King** Jr. National **Memorial**]

[|The King Center]

[|**Martin Luther King** Jr National Historic Site]

[|Some King historical sites from Taft's travels] [|Some King historical video from Taft's travels] ||