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'They鈥檒l never kill the dream': People honor Martin Luther King Jr. 56 years after his assassination
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Dozens gathered at the African American Performing Arts Center in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 on Thursday evening 鈥� 56 years to the day that civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down on the balcony of a Memphis hotel.
鈥淭hey may kill the dreamer, but they鈥檒l never kill the dream,鈥� Southern Christian Leadership Conference New Mexico President Charles Becknell Sr. told the crowd, referring to April 4, 1968, the day King was assassinated by James Earl Ray.
It was because of King that we 鈥渃an be in the same room together and not have to be segregated,鈥� event attendee Lapifany Campos told the Journal.
Thursday鈥檚 event was hosted by Veterans for Peace, NAACP sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and the New Mexico MLK Commission.
NAACP sa国际传媒官网网页入口 President Harold Bailey said the organizers wanted to make sure people understood what King stood for.
Luis Quinones said King was 鈥渙ne of the greats in civil rights, not just in the U.S. but around the world.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very sad day,鈥� Quinones said of the anniversary. 鈥淚t was a shock to all of us when it happened.
鈥淭hey killed a person who was making an incredible contribution to our society. (He was) one of the greatest in our history.鈥�
During the event, clips were shared from one of King鈥檚 famed speeches, 鈥淏eyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,鈥� in which King spoke about the Vietnam War at Riverside Church in New York City. The speech was given on April 4, 1967, exactly a year before he was assassinated.
Bailey said, in today鈥檚 world, King would be speaking against the war that鈥檚 going on in Gaza.
鈥淲hen is enough, enough?鈥� Bailey asked.
While guests listened to King鈥檚 speech, photos of King were shown, including his mugshot from an arrest in Montgomery, Alabama. The presentation also displayed a picture of protesters holding signs that read, 鈥淛im Crow Must Go.鈥�
After the replay of King鈥檚 speech ended, the crowd applauded and others came to the podium, including Veterans for Peace member Bill Tiwald. Tiwald said if it weren鈥檛 for King鈥檚 nonviolent methods, things could have gotten 鈥渂loody鈥� during the 1950s and 1960s.
King helped prevent that outcome, Tiward said.
鈥�(Today,) we should always be ready, be trained, in nonviolent actions,鈥� he said.
Air Force veteran Sheritta Washington said King would 鈥渨ant us to continue the work鈥� he did.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much work to be done,鈥� she said. 鈥淭ogether, we can make such a difference.鈥�
