“Martin Luther King rose on the American scene like a star in the night when he led thousands of Americans in the Montgomery bus boycott. They were ‘voting’ for full human rights with their feet.”
This week, we mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A contemporary of Sargent Shriver’s, Dr. King’s message of nonviolence, and his tenacity in pursuing dignity and equality for all, continue to be a shining example of strength and justice for the world.
Sargent Shriver spoke of Dr. King numerous times. On this particular occasion at NYU, Sarge focused on Dr. King’s ability to mobilize thousands of citizens in peaceful protest. Sarge says that the Montgomery bus boycott allowed the participants to “‘vote’ for full human rights with their feet.” This is a notable reminder of a powerful tool that Dr. King used, and that citizens continue to embrace today--nonviolent resistance. As well as the important act of voting at the ballot box, we can ‘vote’ with our voices, with our bodies, and with our wallets. We can exercise our citizenship by engaging every day in actions that can send a message to our leaders about the type of society we want, one in which we all have the opportunity to be, in Dr. King’s words, “free at last.”
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