Next week, the eyes of the nation will be focused on Washington and the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
His niece, Dr. Alveda King, will be a big part of that, as you can read below. We’ve written about her in Charisma. She is a strong advocate for life and for traditional marriage and other biblical values at a time when many civil rights leaders are backing the liberal agenda.
As I was typing this, I got a text message from Dr. King that read, “Friends, please pray with us through the MLK events. And now, Lord, they’re at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in praying preaching your Message as you stretch out your hand to us in healing and miracles done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (That last portion quotes Acts 4:29 from the Message version of the Bible.)
Our nonprofit partner Christian Life Missions is now working with Dr. King in her important role in our nation to stand for biblical values and her call for racial reconciliation and training the younger generation in strong Christian values. But she needs support. You can give directly to Alveda King Ministries or through Christian Life Missions. She is on the front lines and needs our support. So I urge you to click the “donate” button and support her, as I have!
Dr. Alveda C. King Joins ‘Let Freedom Ring’
Dr. Alveda King, founder of Alveda King Ministries, encourages America and the world to let freedom ring in memory of the March on Washington and her uncle’s speech:
“Fifty years ago, a valiant group of people from across America and around the globe embarked on a ‘March on Washington.’ While there have been many marches on Washington possibly before and certainly afterward, the 1963 March on Washington remains the premier example of how unity of heart and spirit can transform a community, a nation and a world.
“My parents, A.D. and Naomi King, attended the march and were there when their famous brother/brother-in-law delivered the now famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Back then, they were marching for jobs, decent housing and decent education. Of course, then as well as now, jobs, housing and education remain in the category of issues that impact all human beings from a common perspective. After all, everyone needs some form of income to provide food and shelter, and we all need some form of intellectual enlightenment.
“Fifty years later, the march has taken on a different flavor and is more cause-oriented than the counterpart of days gone by. The 2013 march includes themes that go beyond those basic demands of 1963. History teaches us that causes can divide people while agape love can unite. During his lifetime, my uncle M.L. spoke of a dream; he spoke of a ‘beloved community.’
“For the last several days, people have tempted me to delve into the political melee about who is right about one cause or another. Yet I still cling to the hope that agape love will take the place of political and moral turpitude and that people will rise above debates about tolerance and reach rather for compassion and transformation.
“I will join the hundreds of thousands in D.C. over the next few days. I’m asking you to join us, and if you can’t come, please pray with us. Some of the upcoming events promise to be exciting and soul stirring.”
Alveda King’s cousin Bernie recently noted, “The response to our call to commemorate the March on Washington and my father’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech has been overwhelming. Our coalition has organized a wonderful, diverse program, which begins in Atlanta, continues for eight days in Washington, D.C., and culminates with a global bell-ringing. We expect hundreds of thousands of people to join us in the nation’s capital for this historic event and many more to take part worldwide in their communities.”
The King Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 25 by participating in a gospel brunch sponsored by InterContinental Hotels and Resorts at 11:30 a.m. in the grand ballroom of the Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. Dr. King put the finishing touches on his famous speech in his suite at the Willard Hotel the night before the pivotal Aug. 28, 1963, March on Washington civil rights rally.
On Aug. 28, there will be a “Let Freedom Ring Call to Action and Commemoration Ceremony” from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial, which will feature remarks from President Obama, former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the King Family, elected officials, international dignitaries, celebrities, youth and leaders from national and international organizations. Alveda King will perform a song titled “Let Freedom Ring.” For more details, go to officialmlkdream50.com.
“In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that we all long to be ‘free at last,’” Alveda King says. “I’m not sure how many remember the rest of the phrase from that speech delivered so long ago: ‘Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last.’ As we approach the march, let us pray for each other and love one another so that we can ascend above the looming abyss that threatens to reach that higher ground.”
Steve Strang is the founder and publisher of Charisma. Follow him on Twitter at @sstrang or Facebook (stephenestrang).
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