The Dream at 50: Father's words resonate with Martin Luther King III

Martin Luther King III with daughter Yolanda standing before a portrait of his parents Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

It is quite surreal when I think about the fact that my daughter, today in 2013, is the exact same age that I was in 1963, when my father gave the historic I Have a Dream speech 50 years ago.

When I was 5-years-old, my dad gave one of the most famous speeches in history. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed … that all men are created equal,” he declared. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

PHOTOS: MARCH ON WASHINGTON: 50 YEARS LATER ^[1]

I am the second of those four children he spoke about. As the son of one of the most profound figures in history, I sometimes face the privilege and weight of carrying the DNA of a man so prolific and of such magnitude that no one could ever fill his shoes.

Martin Luther King III with wife Arndrea Waters and daughter Yolanda Renee King.

I challenged myself to think about where my father might see things today while also exploring how my 5-year-old daughter does see them.

While many predict what they think Dad may say, think or do as we face the challenging issues of today, no one can say with certainty or for sure what he would think or do. What we can do is read and examine his work and declare that yes, there are those things that are consistent with his actions and philosophies.

I am asked constantly what my father would think about everything from welfare to gay marriage to the recent Trayvon Martin tragedy. I can say wholeheartedly that while I don’t know exactly what he would say or do, I can say without hesitation that Dad, like he always did, would find a way to challenge and bring the best of our nation together. My Daddy was not a divider, he was a uniter. So, had he lived I would like to think that maybe we wouldn’t have some of the same issues we face 50 years later to even grapple with.

Martin Luther King Jr. with son, Martin Luther King III, and daughter Yolanda.

My father would be deeply troubled by our failing and crumbling public education system, as he took great pride in America having one of the best primary and secondary school systems in the world. While he would be jubilant at the thought of today’s innovation and advances in technology, he would be distraught over the ways we often use it to abuse, prey on and destroy others.

While he would be elated to know that so many individuals have found a way to fulfill the American dream, he would be disturbed by the growing poverty rate that has now more than tripled. I imagine he would be excited at the thought of the convenient and instantaneous nature of social media.

The thought of how much he could accomplish with the resources and tools we have today might even overwhelm him, like it sometimes does me.

AP

Martin Luther King acknowledges the crowd during his "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

I believe that my father was driven by the belief that every single one of us can contribute to society and make this a better world. That philosophy was deeply rooted and guided me my entire life. That is the same philosophy that I think we must awaken and renew in our younger generations. We must find a way to continue the work my father started in a way that doesn’t demoralize or deflate.

When I think of my little girl, Yolanda Renee King, Martin Luther King, Jr.^[7] ’s, only grandchild, I am proud to see that she already has an innate understanding of her rich heritage and legacy.

I see a little girl just as I was that little boy 50 years ago with a deep and profound love for her Papa King. I echo her reaction to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial when our family first saw it, at the National Mall. Our little angel declared, “I won’t cry. This is amazing!” My sentiments exactly.

I recount stories and memories from my childhood, in my new children’s book “My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” to try to paint the picture for my daughter and children around the world of not just how great of a man my father was, but also how incredible of a dad he was. There have been a lot of books written about my father. But not a whole lot has been written about my dad. My book is about my daddy, what it was like to live with him, and how much I loved him.

As I think about the greatest advice I can share with my daughter, children and people all around the world, I will share one of the most thoughtful pearls of wisdom my mother, the late, great Coretta Scott King shared with me.

“You don’t have to be your father, just be your best self.”

On a mobile device? Watch the video here.^[9]

References

^{^} PHOTOS: MARCH ON WASHINGTON: 50 YEARS LATER (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} RELATED: HOW CIVIL RIGHTS CRUSADERS WORKED MIRACLE ON MALL (How%20intrepid%20civil%20rights%20crusaders%20worked%20their%20miracle%20on%20National%20Mall%20in%20Washington,%20D.C.%20The%20Dream%20at%2050:%20Coalition%20for%20the%20march%20kept%20in%20step%20through%20debate,%20doubts%20and%20divisions%20Read%20more:%20http)

^{^} RELATED: THE DREAM AT 50: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES FOR RACIAL EQUALITY IN AMERICA (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} RELATED: THE DREAM AT 50: MLK'S WORDS MOVED A NATION AND DEFINED AN ERA (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} RELATED: THE DREAM AT 50: PRESIDENT OWES CIVIL RIGHTS TRAILBLAZERS (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} RELATED: THE DREAM AT 50: MARCHERS SEIZED MOMENT AMID ERA'S STRIFE (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} Martin Luther King Jr. (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} RELATED: THE DREAM AT 50: HOW CIVIL RIGHTS CRUSADERS WORKED THEIR MIRACLE (www.nydailynews.com)

^{^} Watch the video here. (landing.newsinc.com)

StrictlyCome

Saturday, August 24, 2013