Greenville News: Celebrate King's dream for our nation

Originally published 01/05/2012 in The Greenville News (subscription required)

In one of the most famous speeches ever made in this country, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream for this nation that despite its greatness had not lived up to its ideal that all of us are created equal. On a hot summer day in 1963 in Washington, D.C., with a sea of enthusiastic supporters before him, King talked about his “dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”

King, truly this nation’s drum major for justice, had already marched against discrimination, organized peaceful protests, endured jail for pushing for equal rights for all and had less than five years to live. He used his all-too-brief life to profoundly reshape this country and force it to confront the ugly gap between its noble ideals and its treatment of some of its citizens because of the color of their skin.

“I have a dream,” King thundered from the Lincoln Memorial that August day in 1963, “that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’”

King’s dream is alive today. It is nurtured by the action and spirit of millions of Americans devoted to ensuring this country continues to confront racism and inequality, hatred and injustice.

In Greenville that dream is alive, too, and it will be remembered and celebrated over the next 11 days. The official holiday marking King’s birth will be Monday, Jan. 16.

As happened last year, Greenville’s celebration kicks off more than a week earlier with the Unity Bridge Walk and Prayer Vigil that is tonight at Falls Park. Activities running through the federal, state and local holiday on the 16th are hosted by MLK Dream Weekend — a group of religious, business and civic leaders that came together in 2006. That was the first year that Greenville County recognized MLK Day as an official holiday, and this group wanted to make sure the weekend was meaningful in our county that year and all those to follow.

The Unity Bridge Walk and Prayer Vigil begins at 7 tonight at Falls Park. A week later, on Jan. 13, is the MLK Dream Weekend Diversity Banquet that has brought powerful speakers to our community since 2006. This year’s keynote speaker at the dinner at the TD Convention Center will be Roland S. Martin, a CNN political analyst, nationally syndicated columnist and managing editor of “Washington Watch with Roland Martin.”

Also at the banquet next week, 11 scholarships totaling $45,000 will be awarded to worthy students. Scholarship sponsors include Charter Communications, Greenville Technical College, State Farm, USC Upstate, Michelin North America, Clemson University and Furman University.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, Greenville residents can honor one of Dr. King’s values of service to community by working on one of a number of service projects held in conjunction with United Way Hands on Greenville. On Monday, Jan. 16, the focus will be on “Dreams in Action.” The event at Greenville High School will feature workshops designed to help people “pursue positive dreams.”

Complete information about these events, including on how to participate, can be found at www.mlkdreamweekend.com.

Starting with the event tonight and continuing through Monday, Jan. 16, MLK Dream Weekend will provide numerous opportunities for Greenville residents to “honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while celebrating the diversity of the community in which we live.” As the group said on its website, “By turning our dreams into actions, we can change the future for ourselves, our community and others.”

Find a way to honor Martin Luther King’s legacy and celebrate his dream by participating in these or other activities surrounding his birthday.