I view Martin Luther King as the Great Liberator. How did he liberate me? Like many Southerners I went to Sunday school and knew what was right. I knew that things needed to change. I knew that segregation must end and that opportunity be available for all. I knew this not only as a Christian, but deep down as an American citizen with our Bill of Rights and the ringing words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence as to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I knew this as well based on simple human empathy. I knew all these things, but was able to isolate myself from the urgency of doing something about Jim Crow. Martin Luther King rose up and rendered Jim Crow a scarecrow. He revealed my reticence and inertia for what they were – a lazy hypocrisy. He reminded me that I mustn’t be too timid at grasping a moral imperative. Thank God for Martin Luther King. I owe him so much because as my brother in the faith his unconditional love helped set me free to act in the best interest of myself and others.
Print Page
