Today we take a step back from our regularly scheduled workdays to commemorate one of the most prominent martyrs of the civil rights movement.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who constantly promoted the importance of peaceful protests, was killed by an assassin’s bullet 40 years ago, in Memphis, Tennessee. This holiday is to commemorate Dr. King on his birthday; if he were alive today he would be 79 years old.

Dr. King stood for civil rights, and equality among all men and women. His passion was contagious among followers, as he spoke with the confidence and inspiration of an impassioned pastor perched atop an elevated pulpit. Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech ranks among the top 100 speeches of all-time, according to AmericanRhetoric.com.

What the men and women who followed Dr. King accomplished in spite of his untimely death is truly remarkable, and would make Dr. King proud.

Dr. King spoke of living in a world where all men and women would be treated equally, no matter the color of their skin. Right now, as we are buried in Election 2008 campaign updates on a daily basis, how proud would Dr. King be to know that a mere 40 years after his death an African-American and a woman are the leading Democratic presidential candidates? How proud would he be, knowing that last year two NFL coaches shared the honor of being the first African-Americans to lead their team to the Super Bowl? How proud would he be, knowing that numerous not-for-profit associations were created in his honor, and in the honor of equality for mankind?

His speeches reached every bit of the world, and all walks of life — from sports, to politics, to entertainment — and days like today where Dr. King is remembered, we must also remember that the work is never done. But we cannot live in fear that things can’t change. Dr. King preached that wholeheartedly until the day he died.

No matter your skin color — black, white, brown, yellow, pink, or a mix — Dr. King stood up, fought, and died for your rights as a human being. Let us all be grateful for where the world has come, and be mindful of what it takes to continue to reach the “dream” Dr. King spoke of.

I’m reminded of when Scoop Jackson and Jason Whitlock quarreled over their differing approaches to encouraging the younger black generation into journalism. After many back and forths between the two, Jackson wrote on his ESPN Page2 rebuttal a phrase Dr. King would have been proud to hear from black professionals, and one we should all remember today:

“The first step in creating a Civil Rights movement is being civil.”

We live in a time where inequality remains, racial stereotyping persists and the need for a united people is a must. Not just African-Americans with each other, but with mankind as a whole. Working together, opening up a dialog for the state of equality is what the world needs.

As the saying goes — “Together we stand, divided we fall.”

I will end with an excerpt of Dr. King’s final speech, commonly referred to as the “I’ve been to the mountaintop”speech.

“And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

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EXTRA LINKS

• MLK Jr. wrote essays for The Nation back in the day. Here’s one. (The Nation)
• Mitt Romney misspoke when he said his father marched with MLK in Michigan back in 1963. (The Phoenix)
• Democratic contenders will speak at a Dr. King rally today. (Yahoo! News)
• Eugene Robinson asks us, “What would Dr. King think?” (The Washington Post)
• A collection of MLK Jr. art from the years after his passing. (New York Times)