His dream continues

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

AUBURN, Maine - My mother was listening to the radio while performing the mundane chore of ironing on a Thursday evening. The announcer mentioned that Martin Luther King, Jr. was about to leave his hotel room in Memphis, Tenn.

I was eight years and I wasn't really sure who Martin Luther King was or why he was in Tennessee. It was my birthday, April 4, 1968, and my new toys and bouncing around the parlor floor were my only concerns.

I watched my mom barrel through a pile of clean clothes with her hot iron. She loved listening to radio and thought television was a big waste of time.

It still is!

The radio was her ear to the world, and of course, there was her music, which I grew to love later in life.

For some reason, and I can't explain it to this day, I also turned my attention to the radio for one historical moment when the announcer, in a panicked-stricken voice began reporting that King was shot in the face. I looked at my mother. She appeared frightened.

A few moments later I learned that King was gunned down on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel. I couldn't understand why anybody would want to shoot him. I didn't know or care that he was black. I was an eight year old who suddenly felt sad that somebody was murdered.

I don't remember the rioting that followed after King's assassination. For the next several days, this eight year old listened to the grownups talk about his death. It would be years before I would come to fully understand what a remarkable man Martin Luther King truly was and appreciate his personal sacrifices.

King was one of the iconic and charismatic leaders who was cut down along John and Robert Kennedy during of the tumultuous 1960s. I was too young to comprehend how one man rallied people of all colors through his writing, peaceful marches and rousing oratorial skills.

Ever read some of his writings? 

His "I have a dream" speech is remarkable until you read his writings from "Where do we go from here" or the "Lincoln Memorial Address." These are outstanding works that raised the level of debate about equality and injustice in a nation that was coming apart over the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War.

Fast forward to my son who had just entered the fourth grade at Washburn Elementary School. Anthony is a reader, and one day he pulled a book about Mr. King from the shelves of his school library. His class was studying King's accomplishments, but Anthony went further to learn more about this role model. I was impressed with my son who has always thought outside the box when it comes to research.

But what was equally impressive was that a man who gave his life to help stamp out inequality and racism in a nation that believes: "all men are created equal" was still inspiring young people since his death nearly 40 years ago.