When thinking about those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for what they believe in. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be one of those at the top of the list in the past century.
As far as the impact made by their sacrifice... he would be at the very top of that list.
Societal evolution from his service and sacrifice has been enormous. Not that long ago, segregation existed in every part of society. White-only schools, water fountains, public venues, churches, etc., were a normal part of society.
I am 60 years young, and I remember riding the team bus with my dad when I was a boy. He was a high school basketball coach, and I recall how restaurant owners would often turn away the team when they tried to eat a pre or post-game meal because we had black kids on the bus.
I have unique experiences as an adult as well, with racism. My wife of 35 years and I met in college and were married in 1988. My wife is a black and Native American woman. In Oklahoma, you didn't have many interracial marriages back then.
When we first got married, we were looking for a church to attend in the town where we lived. I remember visiting an all-white church, and from the time we sat down in the pew until the service was over, we got glares from the congregation... no welcoming smiles or conversation just glares.
As a matter of fact, when we walked out of the service, the pastor was shaking hands as people left. I reached out to shake his hand, and he pulled his hand back, shaking the hands of the people behind us. The pastor refused to shake my hand!
However, racism isn't exclusive to or committed by only one race. Over the years, I, being a white man, have gotten my share of glares and profane comments from black people and people of various races when seeing me with my black wife. I remember an instance when my wife and I were dating, and my wife (my girlfriend at the time) was competing in the Miss Black Oklahoma Pageant. There was a part of the pageant where the girls would perform a dance routine with their boyfriends. Of course, my wife (girlfriend at the time) asked me to perform with her. The pageant director found out that I was a white man, and she refused to let me perform!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. achieved success where others before him had not because he led a peaceful movement based on biblical principles. His movement emphasized that individuals should be judged by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin. Who in the world could argue with that?
We have come a long way as a society since then. We now have one of the most inclusive societies in the world, i.e., a racist country does not elect someone who is a racial minority as president. Unfortunately, nefarious entities and individuals are trying to take the true message of the civil rights movement and are twisting it to take advantage of it for political and personal gain. This only hurts the cause.
Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King and those who marched with you, for your sacrifice and for the difference you've made in the world. May we as a society never forget where we've come from and realize that we still have a ways to go. However, let us continue to pursue change with the principles spoken of and demonstrated by those with integrity, like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. and his generation.
God Bless,
Kevin Firth, President
Certified Medicare Insurance Planner™, DBA