Last week, on January 15 was the actual the anniversary of the birth of the Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King. But today, January 20, is the holiday on which we as a nation look back to honor this great American and his accomplishments.
What has changed since Dr. King's assassination on that awful day in Memphis so many years ago? Well, we think it would please Dr. King immeasurably to see a man of African American descent elevated to the highest office in the land. We believe, indeed, that Dr. King would have been very pleased by the election of Barrack Obama as President of this great land.
Obviously, in the long tale of race relations in this country things do change, albeit slowly. Too slowly for many but too quickly, quite obviously, for others. The hate mail still received by President Obama shows that very clearly.
But progress in relations between the races has never been quick in America. There are too many scars and there is too much guilt and there is far too much distrust and animosity.
Yet progress does occur.
We look forward to February when we celebrate African American accomplishments during Black History Month. And there are many, many great accomplishments to celebrate, far too many to enumerate them all here.
Certainly, we look back to the famous leaders of the past, such as Frederick Douglass, Harriett Tubman, Sojourner Truth as well as those whose example has been inspirational such as Nat Turner, Crispus Attucks and Rosa Parks. We think of the great sports leaders that have initiated breakthroughs for people of color and the first name that comes to mind for many is Jackie Robinson followed by Hank Aaron. But the history books are filled with other names... scientists and inventors, scholars and educators, actors, and musicians, artists, dancers and painters and the list goes on and on.
Many toiled in obscurity but what they suffered and what they accomplished lives on for us today as inspiration not just for the millions of African Americans alive today, but for all Americans. We long for the day when all Americans will take pride in the whole nation with equal pride in all of the many Americans of all colors, races, genders and religions, who all come together as a whole to make this nation great.
Happy Martin Luther King Day!
PS – If you have not already done so, check with us today. We may yet be able to arrange for a visit to your school this year from one of our great African American History school shows – Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass, The Spirit to Overcome.
Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fieldsof science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN. He also spent ten years coordinating assembly programs for the elementary school where his own children went to school.
