People do not lack strength, they lack will. ~ Victor Hugo
I spent this past week doing what I suspect (or hope) many of you did. I listened to stories about Dr. Martin Luther King and reflected on the impact of his legacy on my life. We celebrated the anniversary of his assassination this past week and meditated on how far we've come since his untimely death. Dr. King spoke to each of us in his own way and his message called us to our own course of action. I will always be in awe at his courage to refuse to be distracted from his dream. If you pay close attention to the many speeches that conveniently air between late January and early April, there was one thing Dr. King said that sums up his character for me. Less than 24 hours before he was shot, he gave a speech where within the text he said, "…I have seen the promise land. I might not get there with you but we will get there…". I've often said that many of our great African American leaders were no different than you or I or anyone else in our community. What set them apart was their will. Victor Hugo points out that its not a matter of strength but a matter of will that makes us great. I don’t know if Dr. King had the ability to foresee his death or it was just a terrible coincidence that made him say out loud, for the first time, that he may not be able to see that which he spent his entire life trying to achieve. All he knew was that what he believed in and was fighting for was right. It wasn't solely his strength that kept him in harms way but the will to overcome the resistance towards achieving a desired goal. Many of us say that we would dedicate our lives to a purpose which ensures a better life for our children. I doubt many of us mean it as much as Dr. King did.
My challenge to you this week is to thank Dr. Martin Luther King. Thank him not for what he did but what he challenged us to be. Then apologize for reaping the fruits of his labor and taking for granted the cost he paid for our future. We dishonor him by not voting during election seasons. We add insult to injury by not ensuring our neighbor voted as well. We dishonor him by simply rolling our eyes at deplorable graduation and pregnancy rates within our community but still do nothing about it. We dishonor him by believing it is our own backyards that are most important and not our neighbors as well. At Dr. King's funeral, it was his own words and no one else's, that provided the eulogy. They played an audio tape for the 30,000+ that gathered during his funeral service to listen to his demand that we not remember him for winning a Nobel Peace Prize but for being a drum major beating the drum for which we march towards a better life for all men and women. This week, more than any other, I challenge you to be a leader and let your will be the strongest part of your identity. Honor Dr. King by honoring your responsibility as a leader.
Alonzo Kelly
President
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
