This month, as we celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we have much to be grateful for. As a native of South Carolina, I remember having conversations with my parents and family about the Civil Rights Movement. They shared vivid recollections of this young Atlanta preacher who was trying to make things better for Black Americans. They spoke of his roots in the Black church and the ways he fostered change. They also told of the fear they experienced when King’s name was mentioned in local grocery stores and establishments in South Carolina by white residents.
My parents explained how they felt when they received news of King’s murder and described the profound sadness, emptiness, and apprehensiveness felt by many Americans. The assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers, and King were more than most people could bear. They worried, Where do we go from here? Who will be taken from us next? Who will fight for us?
I recall where I was and how I felt when I heard of the deaths of Betty Shabazz (the widow of Malcom X), Civil Rights leader Kwame Ture (formerly known as Stokely Carmichael), and Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison. The loss of Betty Shabazz touched me most deeply. I remember sitting in a classroom in Ghana, West Africa on a study-abroad program, gasping and crying with my classmates at the news.
As an undergraduate, I was fortunate to have spent time with Ture both in Raleigh and later on this same study-abroad program, and hearing about his journey. As we celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who were active in the Civil Rights Movement, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the importance of Dr. King’s legacy and the important work that remains.
Dean Livingston