1. King's marches to earn voting rights for black Americans marked a pivotal moment in US history. It required real, physical courage to march over that bridge into a waiting mob, strength of conviction to remain non-violent, and wisdom to know when and how to provoke the mob and when to turn around. King showed real, rare virtues in those marches, which is something we all should respect.
2. 50 years later, voting rights have been vindicated as an instrument of power, as well as threatened by their own success. A recent Supreme Court ruling eviscerated the voting rights act that was enacted in 1965, arguing that the act's most onerous regulations are no longer needed. We shall see whether the protections in the act still serve a purpose when the next contested election happens in the South.
3. King fought with dignity on behalf of all people, not just Americans, and not just people of color.
4. Go see Selma. It's a powerful movie (three-word review at right: King's struggle elevated) that connects on an emotional level and shows the complexity of Dr. King and the civil rights struggle.
5. I learned in college that Dr. King partially plagiarized his Ph.D. thesis. I think he also had a ministerial degree, but that's kind of beside the point. It goes to show how human he was, and his accomplishments are in some ways not diminished by this failing as a young man.
6. In 1965, Dr. King was 35 years old. He was 39 when he was killed.
7. King's legacy is an unfinished dream -- idealism and pragmatism mixed in political progress and conservative backlash. He fought for equality, not just civil rights, and he preached non-violence as a practical lever to force people in power to respond. He was a great orator, but his greatest legacy is not in his speeches. He helped to make the equality that we all know to be part of our country's promise more of a reality.
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