Why We Celebrate the King Holiday
by William “Brother” Rogers
In 1776, our founding fathers launched a political revolution based on the principles of freedom and equality. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” they boldly proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
We celebrate this historic event with a national holiday each year on the fourth of July.
As noble as these words of our founders are, they originally applied only to a limited number of inhabitants, mostly white male property owners. The enigma of what to do about Americans of African descent vexed the founding fathers and dominated domestic politics throughout the first half of the 19th century.
The issue came to a head in the 1860s as America engaged in a bloody civil war over the definition of freedom and equality. President Abraham Lincoln affirmed the meaning of these principles in his Gettysburg Address. “Four score and seven years ago,” he began, “our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Lincoln’s reference to the Declaration of Independence connected the Civil War with the nation’s original and continuing struggle for human equality . Later in the speech, he steered America on a new course when he pledged, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”
Lincoln gave his life for this new birth of freedom which saved the nation. Among other things, this new birth resulted in adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which outlawed slavery, guaranteed equal protection before the law, and prohibited denying the right to vote based on race or color.
To honor Lincoln’s achievements, we celebrate his birthday with a holiday each year.
Unfortunately, fighting a civil war and changing the Constitution were not enough to make Americans of African descent full-fledged citizens of the United States. One hundred years of Jim Crow laws followed emancipation. These laws sustained racial inequality and made a mockery of democracy. It took the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to effectively allow American blacks to vote and have equal protection before the law.
The undisputed leader of the civil rights movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. This grassroots movement, which practiced his philosophy and discipline of nonviolence, finally made the Declaration of Independence and its notions of freedom and equality apply to the descendants of slaves. Like Lincoln, King gave his life for a new birth of freedom.
Before King’s success, black Americans were not considered equal citizens with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As a result of his leadership, black citizens today can realize the dream King articulated so well at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1963.
King’s legacy is that he completed the task of fully democratizing American society. In the not too distant past, this was a task which seemed as impossible as it was unthinkable.
The history of America is the story of a progressive expansion of freedom to eventually include all our citizens. During our nation’s first century, Lincoln did more to expand freedom than anyone else. In our second century, no one advanced the cause of freedom and equality more than Martin Luther King, Jr. That is why America, the beacon of liberty in the world, celebrates his birthday with a holiday.
William “Brother” Rogers is assistant director of the Stennis Center for Public Service and a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News.
In 1776, our founding fathers launched a political revolution based on the principles of freedom and equality. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” they boldly proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
We celebrate this historic event with a national holiday each year on the fourth of July.
As noble as these words of our founders are, they originally applied only to a limited number of inhabitants, mostly white male property owners. The enigma of what to do about Americans of African descent vexed the founding fathers and dominated domestic politics throughout the first half of the 19th century.
The issue came to a head in the 1860s as America engaged in a bloody civil war over the definition of freedom and equality. President Abraham Lincoln affirmed the meaning of these principles in his Gettysburg Address. “Four score and seven years ago,” he began, “our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Lincoln’s reference to the Declaration of Independence connected the Civil War with the nation’s original and continuing struggle for human equality . Later in the speech, he steered America on a new course when he pledged, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”
Lincoln gave his life for this new birth of freedom which saved the nation. Among other things, this new birth resulted in adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which outlawed slavery, guaranteed equal protection before the law, and prohibited denying the right to vote based on race or color.
To honor Lincoln’s achievements, we celebrate his birthday with a holiday each year.
Unfortunately, fighting a civil war and changing the Constitution were not enough to make Americans of African descent full-fledged citizens of the United States. One hundred years of Jim Crow laws followed emancipation. These laws sustained racial inequality and made a mockery of democracy. It took the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to effectively allow American blacks to vote and have equal protection before the law.
The undisputed leader of the civil rights movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. This grassroots movement, which practiced his philosophy and discipline of nonviolence, finally made the Declaration of Independence and its notions of freedom and equality apply to the descendants of slaves. Like Lincoln, King gave his life for a new birth of freedom.
Before King’s success, black Americans were not considered equal citizens with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As a result of his leadership, black citizens today can realize the dream King articulated so well at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1963.
King’s legacy is that he completed the task of fully democratizing American society. In the not too distant past, this was a task which seemed as impossible as it was unthinkable.
The history of America is the story of a progressive expansion of freedom to eventually include all our citizens. During our nation’s first century, Lincoln did more to expand freedom than anyone else. In our second century, no one advanced the cause of freedom and equality more than Martin Luther King, Jr. That is why America, the beacon of liberty in the world, celebrates his birthday with a holiday.
William “Brother” Rogers is assistant director of the Stennis Center for Public Service and a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News.