Remembering Martin Luther King

Today is a day of remembrance, but how many actually remember the man this day is dedicated to? Why is it important? Who was this man and what did he do that was so great?
This is what I remember. It was a time of anti, anti war, anti government, anti police, anti white and anti black. I remember the apartment building being burned across the street from where I lived because it had whites living in it and it was a black area. I remember hundreds of young black men gathering in the street to march downtown and “burn whitey”. I remember the hookers on the corner telling me “better stay in tonight baby, things don’t look good”. I remember the older neighbor women that I used to carry groceries home for not talking to me because they were afraid and I was white. It was a time of fear and confusion. There was however a voice that needed to be heard. That was Martin Luther King, a voice of reason in a time of great need. He was a stabilizing power in a time of turmoil. His message was simple, this can be a better place, but for that to happen we need to do it together, all of us.
I thank you Rev. King and I do remember.