Some practical lessons from Martin Luther King!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived, a revolutionary person who dedicated his life to the struggle for civil rights, a struggle that continues to this very day. In both word and action, he had a great and vast impact both at home and abroad.
Martin Luther King, Jr. left us a legacy, teaching us as much through what he did as what he said. Maybe more. Here’s what one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders taught the world.
One of the most significant lessons from him is that a movement is more powerful than an individual. Had he “only” been a writer, King would be a great American character. Had he merely given powerful lessons, we would still speak of him today. And yet, he was so much more than that, in large part because he gathered thousands of people, and inspired millions more, to act. He did so through persuasion, through the careful and hard work of convincing people one by one that this struggle was everyone’s struggle. “Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly,” he once said. The impact of King alone would have been large, but the impact of King’s movement was transformational.
Another lesson he taught us is to pursue our dreams. Without a doubt, the quote that most people associate with Dr. King comes from his historic 1963 speech: “I have a dream.” Dreams are powerful, and can serve as great motivators — but they are only meaningful if we act on them.
Additionally, he taught us not to give up. Martin Luther King had a hard road. He faced opposition that many of us will never have to face, nor understand. And eventually, with persistent work, he succeeded. This is a lesson that is given often but it’s one that will never fail. If you want to succeed, you need to learn to face failure and to find a way around it. And it never helps to have examples of how it could always be worse to give you courage when things do go bad.
In sum, let’s remember what Martin Luther King said: “Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about the things that matter.” So let’s fight to achieve our rights.
