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Aug. 28, 2024, marks the 61st anniversary of my uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On this anniversary, we should reflect on his immortal words and what the American Dream still looks like today.
If MLK were still alive, I believe he would remind all Americans that we are the one-blood human race. He would reiterate that we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or we will perish as fools, as he said in St. Louis in 1964.
He would emphasize that the content of our character counts and that skin color is something to be celebrated as unifying rather than a cudgel used to divide us.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., holding his speech close to his chest, speaks to reporters at the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963. (Bob Parent/Getty Images)
Think back to his own words: “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men – yes, Black men as well as White men – would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S FAMOUS ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ SPEECH
My uncle was a patriot above all else. He knew our founding principles were the key to Black liberation and freedom for all. He did not want us to turn our backs on our ancestors or reject our constitutional principles; instead, he called that inheritance our “promissory note.”
Dr. Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders, including Whitney Young, standing left, John Lewis, standing, fourth from right, and A Philip Randolph, seated center, at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. (National Archive/Newsmakers)
But my uncle also pointed out that America had initially given her Black citizens a check marked “insufficient funds.” He knew that while our nation’s charter contained the key to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all our people, we had not fully lived up to that promise for African Americans.
Yet, MLK also went on to say that his dream is “deeply rooted in the American dream.” He dreamed that one day, “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
That dream is still alive and well, and it is our job to continue making progress toward my uncle’s noble goals.
President John F. Kennedy meets with organizers and leaders of the March on Washington at the White House on Aug. 28, 1963.
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Today, that progress looks like opportunity and dignity by investing in our forgotten communities and empowering the disadvantaged to help themselves. It includes protecting life, from the womb to the tomb, for all ethnicities. It means investing in education and supporting school choice so that all children can live out the American Dream, no matter their background or the circumstances of their birth.
Even though my uncle’s dream is still alive, we must fight for it daily to ensure that current and future generations can experience the promise of America that MLK spoke about. We must remember and remind every generation, every decade, and on every platform of the resilience of those eternal Christian virtues of faith, hope and love.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a rally in Lakeview, New York, during a tour of Long Island on May 12, 1965. (Alan Raia/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
As people of faith, we are called to share our joy with others, defend our beliefs in the public square and vote for our Christian values at the ballot box.
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On this 61st anniversary of my uncle’s landmark address, the release of my new song “In Atlanta” reminds us that the dream still lives. Several years ago, I recorded “Let Freedom Ring.” In that song, I thanked God that my uncle’s dream is still alive.
Let us remember my uncle’s dream and pray that the grace of God will redeem the check for insufficient funds. Only then can we become a nation that truly cherishes life from the womb to the tomb and beyond.
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