By El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the most prominent “civil rights leaders” of one of the most turbulent decades in American history. Truth be told, Dr. King – like El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X) before him – transcended the label “civil rights leader,” before his death at the hands of an assassin on April 4, 1968.
Malcolm and Martin were both spiritually-based, human rights oriented giants, whose legacies have yet to be fully understood and appreciated by the nation that gave them birth.
Dr. King is the first African American to have a national holiday in the US. The third Monday of January was designated Martin Luther King Day in 1986, but it was not celebrated in all 50 states until 2000. And yet, still to this day, this Christian pastor of liberation theology is best known for his “I Have A Dream” speech, delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (Washington, DC) on August 28, 1963 – five years before his assassination.
On Sunday, January 15th (MLK’s actual birthday) we will resume our weekly Salaamedia broadcast out of Johannesburg, South Africa – following a three week break. This Sunday’s broadcast (titled, “History Revisited: Looking Back To Look Ahead”) will explore Dr. King’s legacy, and the legacy of that period in American history, against the backdrop of present day challenges.
Coming on the heels of the second anniversary of the January 6 Insurrection; the recent tumult in the US House of Representatives; and America’s current war-related entanglements; we expect to have a thought-provoking public conversation with a diverse, action-oriented panel of seasoned elders, iA.
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El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan is a Metro-Washington, DC, based human rights advocate. He serves as Director of Operations for The Aafia Foundation, Inc.
1 comment
Thank you for this scholarly presentation.
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