When I was a young teenager and my father introduced me to Coretta Scott King, I gave little thought the impact such a chance encounter should have had on my life. It was only years later, after Mrs. King passed away, that I recognized and understood the importance of that occasion. Here was a woman who stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest Civil Rights leader in American history, and I met her. I took for granted the things Mrs. King saw and experienced; how my meeting her was a touch upon history itself.
Now as an adult, and in my lifetime, America is on the eve of swearing in the first Black President. Any adjective I could type fails to give significant characterization of this historical event. And how was this all possible? By the struggles and strife of men who came before, like Dr. King. I embrace, with a full heart, how privileged I was to meet Mrs. King. See, it's funny. I've been griping and complaining because I keep missing opportunities to meet Barack Obama. I stand in awe of the man, captured by his greatness, and want to feel his presence in this historical moment. But duh! I already have been touched by history. I met the late wife of Dr. Martin Luther King. Greatness doesn't get much better than that!
This MLK Day Holiday weekend takes on special significance. Yes, we got Obama to the White House, but our journey didn't start there. If not for men like Dr. King, an Obama Presidency would never occurred. So as we look forward to Tuesday, I'm reminded how truly blessed America was, and is, for having Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr trailblaze the way for our brother Barack H. Obama, Jr...
Have a great King Day Holiday Weekend y'all!
-Ian
1 comment:
What a warm and wonderful personal tribute, Ian. I guess this Tuesday, no one will be able to pull us from the television sets for a minute. I'm beginning to wonder if we didn't make a mistake by not, at least, going NEAR the capital. Anyhoo......GREAT WRITING!
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