In Honor of Martin Luther King Day,
Reflections on his Nobel Acceptance Speech: Today is Martin Luther King Day (formerly known in my adopted home state
of Virginia as “Lee-Jackson-King Day” for Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and
Martin Luther King, a juxtaposition which I, as a transplanted northerner,
always found morbidly amusing). MLK Day is a banner day for the
rule of law as we honor one of the great Americans who staked his life on the
principles of human dignity, inherent worth, and justice for all.
For most of us, when we recall the Reverend Dr. King’s message, we
default to the famous “I have a Dream” speech that he gave during the March on
Washington in August 1963. Less familiar is the acceptance speech he gave
when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. It’s a shame, because King’s Nobel Acceptance Speech is no less compelling than “I have a dream,” and
in light of current events, even more powerful and relevant. In
particular, as we consider the challenges to freedom of expression, religion,
speech, and equality throughout the world, and the inherent problems of
governmental corruption, oppression, and predation that lie at the heart of so
many current conflicts, it is important to ponder these words (emphasis mine):
I refuse to accept despair
as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that
the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of
reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man
is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the
unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind
is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the
bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.
He went on to proclaim:
I believe that unarmed truth
and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is
stronger than evil triumphant. I
believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is
still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying
prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this
dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the
audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for
their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and
freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down
men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow
before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and
nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the
lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own
vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall
overcome!
This faith can give us
courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet
new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with
low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we
will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization
struggling to be born.
On December 10, 1964, the
Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King issued a call to action. Today, as we
celebrate his life, work, and legacy, I believe we owe it to ourselves to
consider how each and every one of us intends to respond.
Happy MLK Day!
*The full text of the Nobel Acceptance speech can be accessed at http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-acceptance_en.html.
You write beautifully, Michelle, and choose your words with great thought and care. The final paragraph you quoted is particularly inspiring in light of the dreary times in which we live. Faith is a gift but courage is a choice and we have to choose it often, still, so many years after this speech was given. LIOB, Patty
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