By Cassandra Harris Lockwood, Editor-in-chief.
“The most persistent and urgent question there is, is what are you doing for others?”Montgomery, Alabama, 1957, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, I recall the shock, devastation, and despair I felt as a 16-year-old activist.
The hope and vision that Dr. King provided us with was an incredible foundation of promise for my people and our country. Even though at that time there was conflict among other Black leaders and a decided shift in tactics, his death felt as though we would become a people without a leader, the one who had taken us so far had been taken from us. The one who had legitimized and articulated our struggle so eloquently was gone. Martin Luther King was a victim of our increasingly violent times as were John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X. Though we know he was just a man, as were the others, his spirituality, bravery, eloquence and dignified strength continue to be a vital example to worldwide efforts for freedom, justice, and equality. We carry on. CHL
