The Impact of Dr. King's Vision on My Life

The Impact of Dr. King's Vision on My Life

In the summer of 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Chicago, Illinois, to further press his campaign of equal rights for all Americans. Dr. King led a march through Chicago and some of its neighboring suburbs to promote that ideal. To many, this march is best known for the negative treatment of the peaceful demonstrators in the more racially prejudiced suburbs of Chicago: Berwyn and Cicero. When the demonstrators reached those two suburbs, rocks and bottles were hurled at them by onlookers who did not agree with the peaceful beliefs of Dr. King and others participating in the march. However, Dr. King was prepared for this kind of reaction and made sure men stood at the front and back lines of the group; he also had men placed on the outside of each line as protection for the women and children marching. These men became known as Dr. King's lieutenants. My father was seventeen at the time of this march, and Dr. King used him as one of his lieutenants. Moreover, Dr. King met separately with his lieutenants in groups of five to ten at a time; therefore, my father had the privilege of having a private meeting with one of the great leaders in history. He described his encounter with Dr. King as one of the best experiences in his entire life, and the only other person whose impact would have been as great is Jesus. My father feels that way because like Jesus, Dr. King was willing to die for his people. The meeting between Dr. King and my father has had a major impact on my life because Dr. King showed my father and several others peaceful means of obtaining their goals, and these teachings have reciprocated to me.

Three key ideals that Dr. King exemplified in his meeting with my father were to show respect for women, to use peace and not violence, and to not give up in the face of adversity. The sheer fact that my father served as one of Dr. King's lieutenants proves that Dr. King stressed the importance of respect for women. He did not want women or children to be subjected to the dangers of hurling objects while they were marching. He felt that the men should stand on the outside to protect the women and children who marched.