He Dared to Dream

Photo: This image is believed to be in the public domain and is from the National Archives

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

I was eight years old when Martin Luther King Jr was shot. At the time, I did not fully comprehend his full importance and what his legacy would be. He appeared as grainy black and white images on the TV; images of him making impassioned speeches, leading swarms of people carrying signs, marching arm in arm. He was someone who appeared in stories on the six o'clock news and someone who I heard my parents discussing. I knew his name and I knew he was a powerful, important man. He was a part of the kaleidoscope of sounds, colours and textures of my recollections of the sixties.

My impressions of the sixties are etched in imagery of protests, violence, rage, war, concerts, peace funerals, and tears. I remember watching snippets of the now famous "I have a dream" speech and even though I was a child, I could feel the power of inspiration. I could sense leadership. It made an indelible impression. I knew I was witnessing greatness.

So today in a world where we are parched and thirsty for hope, in desperate need of inspiration on a landscape with leadership in short supply, I salute the larger than life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who dared to dream and share a vision for a world that would require humankind - us - to become the best versions of ourselves ...