Martin Luther King: If ever there was a man with a vision, Dr. King fit the bill. There are few people walking the earth who are not familiar with his “I Have a Dream” speech. Another great speech that Dr. King gave had to do with his own life and what he wanted to be remembered for. Dr. King had a premonition of his death and drafted his “Eulogy” Speech as a sort of funeral speech that he delivered himself. It is surely one of the most moving and memorable speeches of all time. It is a eulogy of possibilities and hope rather than of defeat and death. It is stirring because more than any other speech that he gave, it is testimony to his bravery, devotion and commitment to racial justice and equality.
His Own Eulogy:
Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life’s final common denominator–that something we call death.
We all think about it and every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don’t think about it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself what it is that I would want said and I leave the word to you this morning.
If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy tell him not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want him to say.
Tell him not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize–that isn’t important. Tell him not to mention that have 300 or 400 other awards–that’s not important. Tell him not to mention where I went to school.
I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe the naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. And I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to, say that I was a drum major. Say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.
I won’t have any money to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that is all I want to say. If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a well song, if I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.
— Martin Luther King, Jr. (at the request of his widow, these recorded words of Dr. King’s last sermon were played at his funeral)
Dr. King was vilified in his own life time not just by many whites but also by many blacks. The more militant of the Civil Rights groups including SNCC, some in CORE and also the Black Panthers saw MLK as too passive, forgiving and willing to turn the other cheek. Many in the Black Muslims saw Dr. King as simply a “pawn” of the white man. The Black Muslims wanted nothing to do with compromise or civil rights at all. Dr. King had enemies and critics on all sides. Some say he knew that he did not have long to live and that he would die in a matter of weeks.
Put yourself in Dr. King’s shoes for a few minutes if you really want to understand and appreciate his life. Even today, some states have tried to deny him this day of commemoration. In his time he was loved and hated, praised and despised, honored and spit on, applauded and stoned. Think for a second what it would be like to live in a fishbowl beset on all sides by those who condemn you and those who want more of your time. Think about trying to maintain your vision of non-violence when all around you is hate and loathing. Think about trying to preach conciliation and tolerance when both whites and blacks are killing each other because of the color of their skin. Think of being the minority that gets the worse of the deal every time because your people lack the power and political machinery to orchestrate the best deals.
It would have been very easy for Dr. King to take a short term view of life, but he did not. Dr. King saw the future of America dependent on how it settled this big question: “Were whites and blacks going to be equal or not?” Dr. King knew that the greatness of America turned on this question. Was freedom, equal rights, democracy and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness just for whites or could blacks be included in this vision as well? Dr. King was positive that he and others could forge a reality out of the American dream that would also merge with his dream for African Americans. Dr. King and millions of other African Americans and whites have worked to help move us towards this dream. Dr. King was a man whose memory will live on forever.
As you go about today, think for a few seconds about why we honor Dr. King. Without a vision, people will perish. Dr. King may have saved millions of lives by providing all of us with a vision that inspires and motivates us to create a more just and humane society. A dream to help create a nation where someday racism and race prejudice will no longer exist. It is a dream we have not reached, but it is a dream that it is still worth working for. Ask yourself today, what are you doing to help dispel racism and prejudice? Are you part of the solution or are you part of the problem? Do you hate other races or do you work to bring all people together? Today is a day to celebrate the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King and we best honor his life and vision by doing our own small part to end racism and race hatred.
If you want a little light hearted look at what Martin Luther King day should NOT BE, see the following video from Comedy Central with Trevor Noah:
Aging Capriciously 