After listening to the many parallels in this speech, it is obvious that President Barack Obama is on the campaign trail. Strategically, he used points of interest that would resonate with the 50,000 attendees and the millions of worldwide listeners who heard this speech during the MLK Dedication ceremony. Full of the same determination that he shared with the world over four years ago, President Obama spoke on a dual platform; weaving his policies and his current struggle into the life teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The only sad part of this occasion was the obvious absence of media attention. I found myself with a group of friends hovered around the radio because there was minimal television coverage of this great day and this great speech. Applauding at poignant points and shaking our heads in unison at others, we all wondered why we felt like it was 1960 all over again as we had to envision what the masses saw while we were huddled in silence.
Fifty years may have passed, but the obvious lack of attention placed on this momentous day - and the blatant disregard for our nations President - only brought back dark images of the days when civil rights were challenged and human rights were fought for. In one of the most memorable points of his speech, President Obama states that change took time and the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. never lost focus. He saw a nation brimming with potential - if only it would live up to the very principles that it speaks of in its Constitution.
Today, the struggle is still the same. The fight has moved from the streets and into the corporate boardrooms. The lines which separate us are no longer just black and white, but also brown and yellow and blue and red. I encourage you to take twenty minutes out of your day and listen to the words and identify the struggle.
But, then again, this is only ONE Man's Opinion... Yours could be very different...
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