On April 4, 1968, a hate-filled man assassinated a leader for all times who spoke with inspiration within the framework of faith, family and freedom – Dr. Martin Luther King.
Standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel outside Room 306 48 years ago in Memphis, the Baptist minister born in Atlanta had his life ended at a young and very influential 39 years of age. That life was a commitment to establishing opportunity for all, regardless of skin color.
On the rail outside that memorialized room at the National Civil Rights Museum (formerly the Lorraine Motel), a plaque is affixed with the inscription: “And they said one to another, behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” From the Old Testament, Genesis 37:20, the words parallel the “dreamer” Joseph whose brothers, driven by hate and envy, made an attempt to end his life after the youngest brother shared his dreams.
Focusing on that last phrase, “and we shall see what will become of his dreams,” today’s national holiday allows us to ask the question reflecting on those words, “What has become of the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?”
Yet another question has to be asked first: What exactly was the “dream” of the great civil rights leader and pastor?