On January 16 we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a man of God, teacher, leader and world changer.
Dr. King's best remembered words come from his dream speeches. He used the words "I have a dream" many times, but King wasn't a mere dreamer. He didn't live in an ivory tower separate from the world and its realities. He was a man who wanted change on the ground where he stood, change for his people, and all people.
To this end he often spoke about virtue:
"We must use time creatively … and forever realize that the time is always ripe for doing right."
He honored labor:
"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry."
He promoted the change of heart and mind:
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrate it."
Dr. King didn't mince words:
"Nothing pains some people more than having to think."
He advocated for an informed electorate:
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance."
Finally, Dr. King's most famous words that challenged America:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
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Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
