Image credits : US D . O . D and USMC

Weary and worn from the long winter ' s night of hardship and sacrifice endured by their steadfast advocacy and support of American civil rights , roughly 250,000 people marched on Washington .

The march took only three months to plan and organize . With almost twelve-thousand National Park police and National Guardsmen standing by , not one arrest was made . The group was peaceful , somber , and tired of the status quo . Yet , this group of Americans — from every walk of life and every ethnic and cultural group — were filled with the hope that change was possible .

Introduced as “ The Moral Leader of our Nation ,” Dr . Martin Luther King addressed the Americans who gathered on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial . The Southern Christian Leadership Conference President and Civil Rights Leader , Dr . King , began his iconic “ I have a dream ” speech by citing President Abraham Lincoln ’ s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 years earlier . He beautifully described how that moment in history came as “ a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity ” for African Americans . He then stated that , after 100 years , African Americans were still far from free .

Segregation , poverty , and discrimination were just some of the realities Dr . King highlighted as evidence to make his case that people of color existed largely on the fringes of a prosperous society , not yet able to realize true freedom .

He stated that it was time to “ cash the check ” written by our country ’ s founders who penned the Constitution and Bill of Rights , proclaiming “ All men are created equal and endowed by the Creator the unalienable rights of life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness .” The check was , in Dr . King ’ s words , a promissory note to all men , and America had defaulted on that note . It was time , he stated , to collect on that check that was promised to deliver “ the riches of freedom and the security of justice ” to all Americans .

He admonished those in power not to consider the Civil Rights movement nor the march a mere exercise of discontent , but rather an expectation of a new reality , one based in freedom and justice that included all Americans , to be realized through their continued peaceful protest . He admonished the attendees to not let anger and violence

52 cause them to lose sight of their goal to bring about positive change . He emphasized peaceful protest , non-violence , and to never let hate against all “ white men ” take over . He pointed out the many “ white men and women ” in the crowd , who were in solidarity of the movement . Indeed , this was a movement that crossed all barriers for those who believed in truth , justice , freedom , and the American Dream .

He encouraged all attendees to go back to their homes and continue to hope and work for change . Recognizing the difficulties of the struggle , Dr . King shared his dream that one day men from all walks of life would be considered equal . He shared his dream that one day his four children will live in a country where they will be judged not by the color of their skin , but by the content of their character . Leading a movement through non-violent protest , bearing the weight of incredible challenges , death threats , hatred , and vitriol as he stood in the face of injustice was his content of character on display . It was and still is one of the greatest examples of strength in character known to mankind .

One year later , in 1964 , Dr . Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize for his “ non-violent struggle for civil rights .” Five years later , on April 4 , 1968 , he was shot down by an assassin while on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis , Tennessee .

Courage . Passion . Conviction . Character .

Now , 60 years later , in a world gone mad , isn ’ t it about time to double down on the “ content of character ?” It seems to me that if we can focus on learning , teaching , mentoring , and modeling the “ content of character ,” we can begin to truly realize Dr . King ’ s dream that we are all of equal value – neither higher nor lower – just equal . Maybe then we will stop falling prey to the plots and schemes designed to break us down and keep us separated . We all bleed red , but let ’ s stop the bleeding .

Character matters most . Teaching the “ content of character ” should be our highest priority . Expecting our leaders to be of good character should be a no brainer . Expecting the same of our children , grandchildren , family , friends , neighbors , and ourselves should be a no brainer as well . Consider how incredible this Nation could be if we led with character . Would we all be free at last ? Could freedom truly ring ?

We should dare to dream . WINTER 2024 gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... gmhtoday . com