Martin Luther King Day

January 15th has been a holiday in the United States of American in memory of  Dr. Rev Martin Luther King.

Here are some of our thoughts on a man known by many but still not truly understood.

As we see the sunset on another MLK (Martin Luther King Jr) Day, which incidentally is celebrated as an official holiday in the US.  I do wonder if we even know what the dream is, today. As I go through my personal experiences in general, I realize aesthetically it seems that we have come quite far but when you go more in depth we are following a course that has been set for us and it’s an unconscious journey.

Forty-nine years later, we are coming out of the worst economic crisis most of us have seen in our adult lives and it gives reason for pause as the rich seem to be getting richer and the poor, even poorer. Despite the glimmer of hope that has been the realization of the dream with the election of President Barrack Obama being one of the most influential leaders in the western hemisphere. I think that we have forgotten that a dream of this magnitude requires all participants and an excerpt from another one of Dr. King’s speeches reminds us (by my interruption) that only collectively do we achieve. Although at this juncture we do see these glimmers we have to be cognisant that there is a legacy to overcome, and it will not, and cannot be done overnight. Therefore it is time for all people of the human race to recommit to the “collection dream” that does not set us apart but puts us side by side.

As we celebrate this 49^th Anniversary of the Dr. Rev Martin Luther King Jr’s speech “I Have a Dream” remember the  MLK DreamKeepers (Ottawa) but also remember we all have a stake in making the dream an everyday reality.