King hailed for breakthroughs

Celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life often focus on his famous “I have a dream” speech, spoken on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1963. Americans born after Dr. King's assassination often relate to that speech as a definitive synopsis of Dr. King’s beliefs.


That speech was a realistic, positive, and uplifting expression of Dr. King's dream and vision for a renewed America. However, there was so much more to Dr. King than that one speech. Dr. King was a complex and compelling human being.


In August, 1963, there were civil rights activists who felt that the march on Washington was a watered-down, sanitized version of the kind of demonstration needed to make a stronger statement to the American government about the problems of discrimination, inequality, and racism within the society.


However, Dr. King was willing to heed the concerns of President Kennedy, who called the civil rights leader prior to the March on Washington, explaining that if the massive gathering took a negative turn, it would severely hinder efforts to push civil rights legislation through Congress.


Other celebrations across the country focused on volunteer efforts and more traditional ceremonies to celebrate King's life.
•President Obama and his family commemorated the day with a volunteer service project at a Washington, D.C., school.
The family greeted volunteers and helped build bookshelves in the school's library. Obama said there was no better way to celebrate King's life than to spend the day helping others.
•Washington is home to the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial, where some braved temperatures near 30 degrees to visit the 30-foot statue of King.
Dorothy Drake, 61, and her sister, Beulah Ashby, 59, visiting from North Carolina, said they attended segregated schools and remembered not being able to eat inside certain restaurants, sitting on the back of buses and being banned from some hotels. "I woke up this morning and it gave me great joy to know that I was coming here," Ashby said. "I know it's a piece of stone, and I know it's one man, but it was just pride. Pride. Happiness."
•Vice President Biden and his wife, Jill, celebrated the holiday in Philadelphia, which has one of the nation's largest King Day celebrations.
The Bidens joined about 4,000 volunteers at Girard College to assemble and package 100,000 meals for distribution around the world by the non-profit Stop Hunger Now, said Todd Bernstein, founder and director of the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.
•In Detroit, about 2,500 people walked in honor of King. "We're just trying to keep the tradition going so history is not lost to the future generations," said DeShaun Willingham, 39, a millwright who brought his children to the walk.
•In Iowa, Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, told about 300 people that King's legacy is carried on by the icon's family, friends and others from the civil rights movement.
"Dr. King really led the fight against segregation, racism and injustice in this country, and he made a big difference in the lives of everyone," Branstad said.