When I Think of Dr. King...

I’ve been thinking about Martin Luther King, Jr. this week. To be honest, I think about him quite often.   I remember when he walked among us, and I remember when he was assassinated. That day we lost a great leader and I recall how great numbers of cities across the country broke out in riots.  The emotional trauma felt by our country was palpable.  At the time, the shock, sadness, and sense of loss compared to when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated only five years earlier. 

Little did we know that just two months after losing Dr. King, we would lose another champion of civil rights in Senator Robert Kennedy. Because they died in such close proximity, I can’t think of one without thinking of the other. I was 16 and their loss had a life-changing impact on me. They were great men doing great things; and then they were gone. Just like that.

I think of the significance of two leaders, ages 39 and 42, one black and one white, who died that year working for peace and justice. Is there a lesson there for us … for me? Is it about the need to carry on the work, together?

Through the years I’ve wondered what our country would be like if they were still here. I’ve wondered why Dr. King felt a need speak out, and to go where there was injustice that didn’t impact him personally. Like first responders run toward a disaster, he ran toward injustice, not away from it.

Today, I’m thinking of Dr. King because it’s his holiday. As I head out to volunteer, I’m inspired by his life and by his work. I’m in awe of his wisdom and his strength. Most importantly, I feel responsible for doing my part to help Dr. King’s dream become a reality for us all:


“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”


- Maria Rubio

Director of Diversity and Inclusion
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette