TO ALL WHO ADMIRE DR. KING: AN ELDER’S MEMORY

I’m young enough in spirit to remember one of the worst days in all of American history, every bit as bad as JFK’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963.

I am referring to April 4, 1968: that tragic day the nation lost one of its kindest and wisest voices, that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many years later I realized there were fewer and fewer people left who could still say they met Dr. King or heard him speak in person.

That convinced me it was time to write down a personal reflection on what it meant to hear him speak in person in order to share such memories with the next generation and with posterity.

REMEMBERING DR. KING, by Prof. Roger E. Rosenberg

The third Monday in January is a day set aside to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.  Many of you are too young to remember him.  Hopefully, even the youngest among you have heard of him and have come to appreciate the selfless dedication of this good man.

For those who may wonder what he was like, I can offer this: I heard Dr. King speak three times in person and each time he delivered a magnificent speech.  He always spoke for love, non-violence, and brotherhood, regardless of the immediate issues of the day that needed to be addressed.

The first time was in San Francisco, in Civic Center Plaza, before a crowd of 40,000.  His words were so eloquent and his style so compelling that all listened attentively and hung on his every word.  He called on all of us to examine our consciences and take a more active role in opposing injustice and to bear witness to our belief in justice and dignity.

The second time was in Chicago and what a challenge!  He spoke before a huge audience of the most militant “black power” advocates, the very group that had begun to criticize him for advocating non-violence.  Within minutes he had their full attention, speaking truth plainly as he saw his Christian and moral duty to do so.

Soon voices from the audience began calling out “Teach!” and “Preach!” and others cried out “Tell it like it is!” as he warmed to his task.  Hundreds of African-American men and women were uplifted on his strong words of hope and purpose.  It was a magnificent display of courage that showed reason and compassion would always be powerful allies in the growing civil rights movement across the nation.

The third and final time was at UC Berkeley where he addressed a crowd of thousands of college students overflowing Sproul Hall Plaza.  I arrived an hour early and stood directly in front of the microphone from where he would speak—just a few feet away!  He looked directly at me during the speech, his eyes twinkling with warmth and light.

His melodic voice threw a spell over the crowd that sunny spring day—one could hear faint echoes of his voice rolling off the surrounding Berkeley hills as though he were a prophet of old from on high.  He took a crowd of strangers and made them feel like brothers and sisters!  You saw the person next to you, of whatever race, as a friend and it was not at all unusual for perfect strangers to smile, shake hands, and even hug one another after Dr. King spoke!

These are just brief personal recollections and cannot do justice to everything he said and did in his lifetime.  He led the Civil Rights Movement that smashed segregation in the South.  The movement received world applause when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of non-violent social change.

His eloquence led him to become the conscience of the nation.  As Dr. King once said:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Profound words well worth pondering, today, as then.

-Dr. Rosenberg (PhD, U.S. History)