Memphis Remembers Martin Luther King, Jr

I was not alive when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated less than five miles from my home. When I see the Lorraine Motel now called the National Civil Rights Museum I am paralyzed by the thought that where a wreath lay today one of the nation's most influential and important people was killed. Smack dab in the middle of a decaying section of downtown Memphis that has only recently begun to be redeveloped, the National Civil Rights Museum is the launching point for what will be a grand day in Memphis as it looks to honor and remember the slain civil rights leader on his birthday, January 21, 2008.

In a way that only Memphis can there is more than one way that people can celebrate the birthday of Martin King. Depending on your age a line of events will be going on that will offer anyone a chance to applaud the life and work of Dr. King.

While some will go to various church functions Hands on Memphis has taken a different approach to honoring him. A message of nonviolence and protests, King was known for his preaching ability and servant's heart. That heart will be the focus of Hands on Memphis, a nonprofit organization established to allow citizens to invest back into their city through community service projects. Last year Hands on Memphis partnered with the 100 Black Men of Memphis at the 100's sponsored charter school, the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences and over 400 volunteers showed up. This year that number is expected to grow and Hands on Memphis has projects going on at Memphis Athletic Ministries, the Children's Museum of Memphis, Caritas Village and the National Civil Rights Museum.

For the urban, hip hop community the MLK Explosion will take place on Sunday at the Plush Club on Beale Street. With national recording artist Yo Gotti set to perform, the Plush Club, located at 380 Beale is sure to be a rocking anthem for the hip hop generation. What events like this does is offer more people an opportunity to celebrate the life of Dr. King in their own unique, expressive and personal way? You may not find these young adults sitting in a three piece suit but that does not mean they do not understand the significance of the life and legacy of the slain civil rights leader.

And then on Monday afternoon the National Basketball Association and the Memphis Grizzlies have their annual Martin Luther King celebration as the Grizzlies play the Chicago Bulls. Before the game at the Grizzlies home they will commemorate two dream keepers, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bob Lanier. Each will be receiving the Sports Legacy Award from NBA Commissioner David Stern. The game takes place less than a mile away from two critical posts in the life of Dr. King the Lorraine Motel which is less than five city blocks away from FedEx Forum and Mason Temple where King preached his valedictory speech, I've Been to the Mountaintop.

Mason Temple looks a lot like it did when King preached there in 1968. The Church of God in Christ has done a fantastic job of maintaining the look and appeal of the sanctuary that no longer is used regularly outside of annual COGIC events. Inside Mason Temple the echo of Martin King can almost be heard as you stand on the steps and see the depravity and lack of hope that is all around that section of the city of Memphis.

Aside from that the last event should be the one each individual has across the country as you remember Dr. King in your own way. The United Negro College Fund's slogan says that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. A better statement would be, absence of understanding history guarantees a repeat of yesterday.