Today marks 40 years since the day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

I know some will take this opportunity to raise questions about his character but, let me be clear — regardless of what one might say about Dr. King, it’s takes extraordinary courage to keep going knowing that your life and the lives of your family were under constant threat.

I can only say thank you to a man that tried to leave the world a better place than he found it, which is much more than I can say for the current leadership of our country.

So, to remember Dr. King, I want to share with you the last speech he gave before he was murdered.

The audio is below.

 

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It’s a shame that so much of Dr. King’s life is presented without context. You would think that the last thing he ever did was to give the “I Have A Dream” speech. However, there were 5 more years to his life that no one discusses. It was a period where he transitioned from not just focusing on the civil rights of black people to looking at the impact of war and poverty on this nation (in fact, many believe it was his stance on Vietnam that ultimately cost him his life).

April 4th will mark the 40th year since his assassination and CNN profiled his last campaign. From what was contained in this article, it seems clear that King knew that he was embarking on a mission that could very well mean the end for him.

Many of us heard of the “Poor People’s Crusade.” It was King’s most revolutionary effort to get America to really focus on the issue of poverty in this country (sigh…just think of where we’d be today if Dr. King’s crusade had been allowed to bear fruit).

However, what is not shared often about King is the degree to which he believed in this effort. Just check out some of these passages from the article:

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Today is the day we set aside to commemorate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was struck down by an assassin’s bullet nearly 40 years ago. Despite what some may want to say, Dr. King’s life and actions have had a profound effect on what direction America has taken in regards to the fight for racial equality. Though there is still much work to be done, had it not been for Dr. King, as well as those who passed the torch to him and those who carry on his mantle, who knows how much worse America would have been. So, today, I personally want to thank Dr. King for not only his inspirational words but, also, his actions and, ultimately, his sacrifice.

Today, I share with you the speech he gave the night before he was killed. It is as profound, and relevant today, as it was in 1968. I can only hope that the words inspire you as much as they do me.

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