In Their Words: MLK's Legacy

"[On MLK Day, I plan to] take the time out to review some of the historical documents that Dr. Martin Luther King wrote and presented so I can continue to remember what he has done for where we are today."

"[King represents] hope. Hope for a better future. That's what I strive for and teach my children."

"[MLK would think that the U.S. of 2012] still needs work, but he was an optimistic person. His optimism would probably show from that."

"I don't know who's most in need of [King's message today] … The Republicans! When you think about the political dialogue in the country — it has moved so far to the right. A monument like this almost seems like it's anachronistic."

*Ralph declined to give his last name. 

"We're now in 2012. There's a black man in office. Everything that he fought for is now being realized for everyone … [His message is] that you can overcome. You don't have to be a brute to get things done … I'm a military man. If more leaders of the world thought like he did, more innocent people wouldn't be dying."

*Moe declined to give his last name.

"He wasn't just passing through the night. He had a great influence. Right now I'm just feeling chills just being among his presence. I've been on the Mall, in the nation's Capitol buildings, and very seldom do we see a monument honoring a black person. So it's just a joy to be here. A historic moment for me. This is my first time being here with the school on a field trip. It's a pleasure to be here."

"Dr. King represents freedom for me. I was born in '52, and through his struggle I was able to attend Strom Thurman High School in Edgefield County, S.C. Integration was a major thing. So I was the only African American in homeroom class from my freshmen to my senior year. And the transition was very difficult for me."

"Right now I think the children are in need of Dr. King's message. I think [his message] has been put aside. So many children know his name, but they don't really know what he did to bring us to where we are now."

"Personally, [King's dream] means an awful lot. His view of justice and the way you go about it has brought a lot of equality to me and my family." 

"For my husband and I, [the memorial] is very significant because he stood for diversity and equality. And my child won't know any of this unless we instill the importance of diverse culture — thought, mind, religion, all that — in him. And that's why we're [at the memorial], just to honor him." 

"I'm still learning about him, but so far [I know] that he fought for freedom and all that."

*Katlane declined to give her last name.