April 4, 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Anyone who had reached the age of consciousness by that date remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the shattering and heartbreaking news that Dr. King had been gunned down in Memphis.
I was a junior in college and the news swept across campus like wildfire. Most people could hardly believe it had happened. Others, having been exposed more directly to the implacable evil and hatred Dr. King faced, were more saddened than surprised. After all, people who would blow up little girls in a Birmingham church would have little compunction about assassinating the most successful and inspirational symbol of non-violent opposition to their rabid racist ideologies.
One of my memories of that painful and tragic day was being comforted and deeply moved by the brave words of Senator Robert Kennedy (then campaigning for the Democratic nomination for president). Little could I have imagined that he, himself, would be assassinated two months later in that horribly violent and convulsive year—1968.
Try as I might, I cannot imagine how we, as a nation, could have navigated through the dangerous shoals of deeply ingrained racism to racial equality under the law for African Americans without much greater bloodshed, without Dr. King’s courageous and inspirational leadership. All Americans should be extremely grateful that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. walked among us during the middle third of the 20th century.
Looking back on the truly significant progress Dr. King and those inspired by his dream, black and white, made between the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 and Dr. King’s death in 1968, I must confess that I am deeply saddened we have not made more progress toward racial reconciliation and justice than we have in the subsequent 40 years.
Perhaps the law has done most of the heavy lifting it can do. People of faith should understand better than most that the law can change habits, but faith can change hearts.
People of faith need to resolve to take a greater leadership role to foster venues and ministry opportunities that can lead us the rest of the way to the realization of Dr. King’s elusive, but transformative, vision of a country in which people truly are “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
I can think of no more fitting way to commemorate Dr. King’s life and ministry than to rededicate ourselves to racial reconciliation in every segment and sector in our society.
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Diana Butler Bass is a religion scholar and author of Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. She blogs at 
Tony Campolo is Professor Emeritus at Eastern University and author of The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice, with Mary Darling. He blogs at 
Rod Dreher is a columnist for The Dallas Morning News and author of Crunchy Cons: The New Conservative Counterculture and Its Return to Roots. He blogs at 
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David Kuo served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and is the author of Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction. He blogs at 
Dr. Richard Land is president of The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and author of The Divided States of America? What Liberals AND Conservatives are missing in the God-and-country shouting match!
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Very well said. And it has to be done on both sides of the equation, both the white and black clergy coming together. I am so proud of the United Church of Christ white leaders coming to stand behind Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. The media can only be stopped by the unification of both races seeking the higher good. Somebody has to stand up and say Dr. King was right, Dr Wright was right...we must do something concrete to end racial hatred and divisions in this country NOW!
Thank you for reminding us.
Too bad Mr. Land isn't at all moved by King's value of accepting the equality of God's gay and lesbian children.
Too bad Mr. Land isn't at all moved by King's value of accepting the equality of God's gay and lesbian children.
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