Why Are All the Good Ones Taken?
By Imani Mance

On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sent shockwaves not only through our nation but through the world. Dr. King was a hero and champion of peace, equality and liberty. His memory and legacy of being a freedom fighter stood the test of time, but one must wonder what the world would be like had he lived. Why did Dr. King and other great leaders have to be taken and will the world ever know such greatness again?

If there is one thing that we can do to ensure that new great leaders emerge from the community, we must truly honor the memory of our forefathers by learning and teaching about their philosophies, tactics, and ideas for provoking change. It is not enough to just know what the average person knows about a great leader’s life, in Dr. King’s case, the “I have a Dream” speech, but to know that Dr. King was also an advocate for poor and disadvantage people of all races. Up until the time he died, he was not only focused on racial equality but on human rights. This is the reason many believe King was assassinated, because he wanted to unite poor people in the U.S. which during that time and even today the majority of people living below the poverty line were and contine to be White. King’s “new dream” challenged the economic practices of the U.S. government and it seems that the powers that be feared economic empowerment of the people more than integration.

It is our duty as benefactors of this work to preserve the full history of brothers and sisters like Martin, Malcolm, A. Phillip Randolph, Garvey, Crispus Attucks, Isabella Baumfree, Shirley Chisholm, and many more. That way even if they are taken from us we are prepared with budding new leaders that are equally skilled but even better trained. Thus, let today be a reminder of your duty as one that is privledged to be reaping the benefit of our leaders' sacrifices.

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