While attending Wichita State University, in Wichita, Kansas, I received my first “F” ever in life during my freshman year in 1975-76 after my English 101, or 102, teacher rejected the book report I proudly submitted about the one man who gave me the courage to stand up and speak truth to power in the spirit of love.  Mind you, I had never received anything less than A’s or B’s in any of my prior grade school, junior high and senior high school English classes until that day.  My myopic teacher erroneously presumed and alleged that writing about my outrageously courageous unsung heroe, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had no “educational or redeeming value.”  

My arrogant antagonist promptly suggested that I consider writing an acceptable book report about Mr. Benjamin Franklin.  In response, I refused to do so and took my grievance to the Dean of the English Department.  What a colossal waste of my time that course of action proved to be since I received no help.  For the remainder of that semester, I “boycotted” my English class.  Before the semester ended, the Dean contacted me to inform me that if I took the final exam, whatever grade I received on that test would be my final grade for the semester.

After praying about me dilemma, I declined the disingenuous offer of my antagonistic teacher. Besides, I knew they were only setting me up to fail.  Had I refused to take a stand during such a crucial age and critical stage of my development, I would still be falling for anything thrown my way today.  From that day forward, I spent most of my free time in libraries and book stores reading to learn and teaching myself what I needed to know to “rise above the oppressive rim of mediocrity.” 

Reading the book, A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by James M. Washington, will reveal copious reasons why I’m asking each of you to join hands with the person next to you as our galvanized group of great people stands together on bended knee to honor the king of a man who “died for something” when so many “lived for nothing.”  Oh.  Did you notice the italicized word for day 15 of 2007 in the previous paragraph?  Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!!

IN HONOR OF YOU  

On day 15 of 2007, men, women, and children humbly come to honor and give thanks to a king of a man who never let success blind him to the struggle of others.  We thank God that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a big dream and never said, “Since I struggled to get mine, you must now struggle to get yours,” or forgot to lead the way for the rest of his sisters and brothers.  How long would the light of hope continue to burn bright if nobody else decides to teach anybody that reaching and teaching is one price that we all must pay?  It is our prayer that they day will never come when the haves no longer care about the have nots and, unlike this king of a man, forget to lead the way.

The sweet smell of success never gave this brave king of a man amnesia about the long hard road from whence he came.  For many years, this great man of vision believed he had a responsibility to reach back and teach others how they could also do the same.  Imagine our different our lives would be today if our ancestors became blinded by  jealousy, anger, hate, or fear and couldn’t see the light of day.  Imagine living in a world where Everybody felt like Nobody cared about Anybody and, unlike this king of a man, decided that Somebody was better qualified to lead the way.

Would time stand still if Nobody came to ring in the new because Everybody was still too busy ringing out the old?  If a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, would Anybody remember that Everybody must reach back and find Somebody to grab hold.  Thank you, Dr. King, for having a dream about the day where Anybody can expect to be treated equally by Everybody and live peacefully with Somebody in a fertile land where Nobody’s civil rights are denied and there’s “equal justice under law” for all.  Besides, how long can Anybody conduct business as usual because Nobody challenged the status quo to stop prejudging Somebody by the colour of their skin before Everybody suffers a great fall?

For reasons now known, grown folk and little children honor a king of a man who didn’t allow negative thoughts, hopelessness, or his fears of violence silence him or cause him to fall over the same stumbling blocks that caused Everybody to stumble up and down the wrong track.  We thank Dr. King for becoming part of the solution Nobody had by teaching Everybody how to turn Somebody’s stumbling blocks into the stepping stones Anybody could use to find the way back.  Because of Dr. King, the light of hope still burns bright so Anybody who sees it will reach one and teach one until Nobody forgets to inspire Everybody to help Somebody do the same.  Father, thank You, for letting Dr. King’s hindsight become our generation’s foresight, for gifting him with the ability to lead by example, and for blessing him with a dream that kept Everybody from forgetting from whence we came.

©Copyright 1992-2007 by Roderick O. Solomon.  All Rights Reserved.