I hope you watched that. I did and couldn’t get through it without tearing up. This is the last speech Dr. King gave before his life was taken by an assassin’s bullet on April 4th, 1968. I was four years old.
He is only one of four men, outside of Jesus Christ, who have shaped my perspective on Leadership and Communication. The other three are Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.
But Dr. King is at the top of that list.
He taught me that words matter and that one person’s words can have an extraordinary impact on future generations.
He taught me that God uses flawed humans to accomplish great things. And that one person, working for a cause greater than himself/herself can silence their critics and create lasting change.
He taught me to look at people from the inside out and not from the outside in.
He taught me that it’s not about you, it’s about the greater good.
I’m better, we’re better because he lived.
It’s up to each of us to leave this world better than we found it and we can start today.
It’s up to us to “Let freedom ring.” Each of us can do our part.
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