Photo courtesy discoverblackheritage, used under a creative commons license

Today is the 40th anniversary of the tragic assassination of the beloved Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. I hope that we can all take time and remember all the great things that he has done for this society; a society that sometimes seems unwilling to change the status quo. It is imperative that we never forget his general teachings. Dr. King not only fought for civil rights, but humanity of all. Although 40 years have passed, I still cannot believe that we had a man who believed in a cause so much that he died for it.

Martin Luther King Jr showed so much passion and committment to equality, and if he never stood up for civil rights, I don't know where we would be today. In honor of his 40th anniversary, people will be gathering in Memphis to march for the legacy of Dr. King. May his words continue to inspire us and may his “dream” continue to motivate us to do what is right for our family, friends, and ourselves.

I am incedibly thankful for those before us that have sacrficed their lives so that the things we are doing today are possible. When you think about it 40 years is not that long ago... We have definitely come a long way.

This is a little late, but here is a picture of UT Austin Campus Progress during the 2008 MLK March.

So today is Dr. King’s bday. <silence and crickets chirping> Not hearing much about it this year? Sure, there are prayer breakfasts and other events taking place on Monday throughout the country, and many folks are donating their obligatory $5 to the national monument fund (me included), but it seems like some folks have run out of things to say. Is it weird that in a post- Jena six, Don Imus world, we’ve gotten so sick of talking about race that we’re also sick of discussing the solution-oriented leaders whose lives offer clear, simple, and so often forgotten remedies to the problem of the color line (and the class line)?