Swans said King’s commitment to equality through nonviolent demonstrations, marches and protests were invaluable in leading the nation toward racial equality.
“He was the person who got us to where we are now,” Swans said.
King’s efforts helped eliminate segregated water fountains, segregated bathrooms and African American passengers being forced to the back of the public bus, she added.
“He was instrumental in having that done. You have to give him that,” Swans said.
King’s distinction as an orator led more than 2.5 million people to the March on Washington where he delivered the exalted “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 29, 1963.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the civil rights act into law on July 2, 1964, federally outlawing discrimination in public places, providing the integration of public schools and prohibiting employment discrimination.
The Drum Major Awards keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Glenn McLellan said King’s dream bleeds unfinished.
The Drum Major Awards’ keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Glenn McLellan revisited Martin Luther King’s speech, “The Three Evils of Society” from King’s Aug. 31, 1967 address in Chicago.
McLellan chose to revisit the speech King delivered at the National Conference of News Politics in Chicago on Aug. 31, 1967, “The Three Evils of Society.” The address detailed how ‘racism, materialism – or poverty – and militarism’ halt progress toward King’s vision of ‘the beloved community.’
“[A place] where justice rolls like mighty water, love guides every heart and where peace silences drums of war,” McLellan said.
King defined ‘the triple evils’ as interconnected societal dysfunctions that require a revolution of values.
“If Christ crossed every boundary, then why should we stand behind the walls? If he broke barriers with love, then our excuses crumble to the ground…
“[If] we want justice and peace, we must challenge systems that glorify violence and redirect our resources toward human dignity and equality,” McLellan said. “Though the triple evils still wreak exponential havoc, still there remains hope. Hope can be found in Dr. King’s solution to fighting this evil; justice through love.”
