Welcome to the songs and stories from home podcast –
This week we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr – his birth – his life – his dream –
A dream that while it may be under threat is still alive today and belongs to all Americans. The story of Dr. King and his dream is one of our great American stories – one with many heroes - many of whom often shared a belief in God a faith in non-violence, hope for the Constitution, a love of song and singing –willingness to struggle – to sacrifice – and even to die - enabled in their quest by the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches of the Federal Government – aided also by the Free Press – by images of their courage that outraged and inspired those who saw them.
Their story – part of a greater American story - was a chance to make this country a little more like it was meant to be – like it was dreamt – allowing the ideas and ideals we assign to the Founders to apply more and more if not once and for all to all – Those of us who believe Dr King’s dream is part of the American dream still have a chance to make more true today the words in one of the best known sentences of the English language – containing the most potent and consequential words in American history : We hold these truths to be self-evident – that all men -and as was proclaimed at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1854 – all women - are created equal, that we are each and all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable – or in future versions unalienable -Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness. A dream indeed worth continuing to strive for.
Representative John Lewis – one of America’s great heroes who stood shoulder to shoulder with Dr. King if not always eye to eye – said that the Civil Rights Movement without music would have been like a bird without wings – one of the most significant songs of that Movement was We Shall Overcome – I end today’s podcast with a few of its verses –
We shall overcome we shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome some day
We’ll walk hand in hand we’ll walk hand in hand
We’ll walk hand in hand some day
Deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome some day
