A man asked his friends this simple question on social media and the responses are both eye-opening and heartwarming.
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His post began with his own thoughts:
Any man or woman like MLK who is a true leader inspires me, and when I say leader I mean true leader –not just a protester, not just a politician, not just someone who goes against the norm. He led well because he inspired a dream in people – that is not cliché – that is truth. He gave them the ability to truly see not just injustice, but that things could be different – and he showed them that way, and THEIR way as best he could. Today so many movements fail because– A) – they have no strong leadership and, – B) –they do not inspire towards a future; they stop at pointing out concerns.
The many responses he received are inspirational as well. MLK has made people think, made their lives better and inspired them to work toward something greater. Here is a sampling:
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• Because of him, my daughter’s future is better now than if he didn’t do what he did.
• Because he stuck true to his beliefs, his dreams at any cost. He literally laid down his life to wake people up.
I learned my first real lesson on what racism was when I was trying to make friends with my next door neighbor’s son, and his parents refused to let us play because I was white.
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• Dr. King inspires me because I’m no longer afraid to share my love of someone from a different race like people were before the Civil Rights Movement. My life is FULL of people from completely different races and backgrounds than me, and I couldn’t love life more.
• MLK inspired me from the day that I learned who he was. When I was younger, I learned my first real lesson on what racism was when I was trying to make friends with my next door neighbor’s son, and his parents refused to let us play because I was white. I didn’t understand why someone would be mean as to judge me solely based on what color my skin was. After learning about King and hearing his “I have a dream” speech, it really opened my eyes to the world and from that moment on, I was destined to follow my heart, to love with a big heart and to always stand up for what I saw as right, even if I stood alone. MLK has been and always will be one of my role models.
• Being married to the most wonderful BLACK man is how I celebrate Dr. King’s dream! Because of Dr. King we live in a world that is ever accepting and changing for equality.
• He was a man with a heart filled with love. His dream allowed all children to have an equal opportunity to education. He showed the importance of loving someone no matter what they looked like. We are all human, and we all deserve love.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Gives me hope that there are better days coming. I still have hope that society will get over this ridiculous idea of segregation and use words instead of weapons to approach problems.
Dr. King and his work, is one of the reasons my son often wonders “why would people ever judge others based on their outside instead of their insides?”
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• His courage and kindness are part of the reason that I can be friends and fall in love with people that aren’t from my walk of life without there being literal laws against it. He reminded the world that love has no color.
• Dr. King and his work, is one of the reasons my son often wonders “why would people ever judge others based on their outside instead of their insides?” He doesn’t see race when he sees another person with a different shade of skin – he sees another human being.
• Honestly, Dr. MLK inspires me because he wasn’t perfect, and yet he accomplished great things. He was not a god, untarnished, doing amazing things. He was a human with faults, and yet something in his beautiful, brave soul – and in his dynamic leadership– led himself and many of us others to fight valiantly for respect, dignity, and equality. I think we all should remember that when we personally think we aren’t worthy for the fight.
He inspires me in the fact that he used logic as a weapon and not gang violence. Peace is stronger than terror.
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• As a person who suffers from this (mostly privately,) I imagine how many works of wonder get killed by thinking we’re not good enough. I mean – despite believing I have a modicum of smarts, how many unfinished plays do I have?
• He inspires me to think before I react. It can be easy to just have a reaction but he led people and taught them not to react with anger or violence especially when faced with such great challenges. If he could move forward with love in his heart instead of hate while being treated so unfairly than so can we. His kindness and calm will always live on. He was a great leader.
• He inspires me in the fact that he used logic as a weapon and not gang violence. Peace is stronger than terror.
• In the face of adversity from the ignorant, he stood for what was right even though he knew it would probably cost him his life one day. He did what he had to do anyway.
• He inspires me to realize that I must always choose to look deeper into a person than the first glance. He teaches me that the best and really only way to change anything is to do so with respect for everyone, no matter how hard that can be at times.
He believed that people are people and that we could look beyond skin color to see the person, the soul within..
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• He reminds me that one has to be willing to sacrifice and accept the institutionalized penalties in place in order to evoke change that is morally right. He inspires me to check my own prejudices and privileges and to seek to understand someone else’s walk before drawing conclusions.
• So many years ago he taught me that my students were like cans of food on a shelf. Cans with no labels. Until I really got into them and got them working together with all their flavors and vitalities, only then would they achieve their best, and awaken the best in each other.
• He, like Gandhi, reminds me how powerful “peaceful resolutions” can be. How doing NOTHING sometimes brings about EVERYTHING!
• The story and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a reminder that great and positive change is possible. That even in the face of vicious hate, change is possible. That the work won’t be easy and it will take time, but the outcome will be more than worth it. That as an ally I need to do all that I can to support the push for racial equality in America while remembering that this is not my story to tell.
• Dr. King inspires me because I’m no longer afraid to share my love of someone from a different race like people were before the Civil Rights Movement. My life is FULL of people from completely different races and backgrounds than me and I couldn’t love life more.
• Reverend King was the embodiment of a peaceful WARRIOR –-and it should never be forgotten that he gave his life for a peace that still eludes us.
• He proved to me that dreamers can make change. That you can stand tall and strong without violence. Putting the anger into resolve instead of lashing out. He believed that people are people and that we could look beyond skin color to see the person, the soul within. That we have more in common than one might think. He had resolve, purpose and strength of character that we need more of today. And his legacy lives on, as we break down racial barriers and stereotypes today. Different flavors of human, all in this together. We need to see more people by their character and souls rather than skin tone.
He taught me that more can be said with rationality, respect, and actions than can be said with shows of force and violence.
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• His bravery and eloquent sermons. I was too young to have joined the march, but would have.
• In the midst of violence, this man of peace and respect refused to be stopped in the pursuit of peace and equality. Oh to have such courage these days.
• He inspired me by his incredible courage and intelligence to navigate a movement under terrorizing circumstances. His life and family’s lives were under constant threat of violence and he endured for the benefit of others. To insist on nonviolence while being assaulted and threatened is something I can’t fathom. His work is a direct reason that I can go to school and work around people who are different from me. His work allowed me to work in businesses that were closed off to people of color. There are simply not enough words to describe the impact that Dr. King and his supporters have had on this world.
• He taught me that more can be said with rationality, respect, and actions than can be said with shows of force and violence.
• I didn’t know much about MLK until I visited Atlanta. I was aware of him, of course, but he never really had significance for me. As a Brit, I didn’t understand the extent of racial inequality he was addressing. What strikes me now, especially in the current political climate, is that he never advocated violence, fear, or hatred. He motivated people to create positive change by preaching how much we’re all alike, and how we should feel love and compassion for each other. That’s a message that needs to be heard these days.
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Photo:Flickr/Tony Fischer
He was the epitome of a leader. Not like these numnuts today of the youth protest movements. He was intelligent and yet purposeful in a way that could and would make people listen with reason. Unlike today where you literally want to shut the door on them because of their unreasonableness. Who wants to even take the time to listen to them? MLK resonated with me all my life in that he said judge not a man by the color of his skin but by the strength of his character. I have followed that all my life in me as… Read more »