Dr. King’s Activities

That demonstrated Serving

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." I think he is right. He also practiced what he preached. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who released police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands. But that alone looks small when you compare it to the fact that Martin Luther King served all the African-Americans that were facing discrimination just because they had skin that was a few shades darker than other Americans. He told everyone that it doesn’t matter what color skin you have, its what’s inside that counts. He tried to give his life serving others. He tried to love somebody. He tried to be right on the war question. He tried to feed the hungry. He tried to give clothes to those who didn't have clothes. He tried to visit those who were in prison. He tried to love and serve humanity.

If a blind person was asked to tell the difference between an African-American and an American that had lighter skin, and both where sitting in front of him and talking, he might suggest things like the sound of their voices, or their beliefs. He would not point out the difference between the color of their skin because he could not see anything and it didn’t matter.

In a way, people who only see other people by the color of their skin are also blind. They cannot see that is doesn’t matter what color skin somebody has, even though African-Americans are human beings just like "white" people. They cannot see that there are more similarities between a white person and a black person than differences. They cannot see that God made all people, regardless of race, religion, or skin color. That is what Martin Luther King was trying to tell us. We can all be great, because we can all serve, even if we have a different skin color than the person next to us. Martin Luther King couldn’t have said it any better: "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."

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