D R .
M A R T I N L U T H E R K I N G J R .
Any American reference book will read you the same premise… “DR. Martin Luther King, Jr. (born January 15, 1929, died April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.” We know the story. But have we ever taken a moment to understand the human being buried beneath the legend and the indelible imprint he has left on who WE are now?
“Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God,
and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
—MLK Jr.
It is from such a preface I sat to write a poem that sprung from a deep restless place in my belly during the thick of this current climate of unrest in my country. Fueled by a general discontent as I witness how far backward we have flung ourselves from all of the invaluable lessons we already learned —lessons that Dr. King himself taught us—this literary offering is a pure and somber one. It is my hope that our readers will hear the message it carries and think on what it truly means for them. For all of us.
journalist & author K. Day Gomez
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