Martin Luther King & His Children

 I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I Have a Dream Speech --  Aug. 28, 1963, as part of the March on Washington.

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, marked the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was a Baptist pastor who became the central figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Unlike his contemporary, Malcolm X, MLK was committed to non-violent change, looking to Mohandes Gandhi and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount for inspiration. 

I noticed that this year there were reminders that Dr. King was a husband and father of four children. While he was constantly away from his family and often at great personal  risk he was a parent who hoped for a brighter future for his children. His "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, perhaps his most famous address, imagined a world of equality for them.

King was only 39 at the time of his death and his oldest child, Yolanda was 12. I've been thinking that our son, at attentive parent of two children, will be 39 later this year, and his oldest is 8. The loss for King's kids must have been immense.How often did they get to be kids with their dad, playful and relaxed? 

MLK's death came just before the beginning of Holy Week in 1968 and sadly, given his commitment to non-violence, the days leading up to Easter were marked by unrest and riots in cities across the country. More than 40 died in what are known as the Holy Week Uprisings. There was a huge sense of loss and injustice for Black people throughout the United States. 

There are many ways to remember Dr. King, and one of them can be as a parent who wanted the best for his children.