Martin Luther King Jr., 40 years

Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed on April 4, 1968. It's been forty years. There isn't much else that can be said about the man. He has always been one of my heroes, probably the number one. I've always looked up to him. His speeches can bring me to tears. I think he has done more for this country than most other people.

The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal has asked people to post their memories: Do you remember where you when MLK died? They also have a section of archival material from the Commercial Appeal dating from February to April 1968. It's a fascinating and sometimes uncomfortable view of events from the 1960s.

There has been a lot going on in Memphis to mark this date. People marched in King's honor today.



I think the "I Am A Man" signs were some of the most powerful symbols from that time. It's a simple statement: I am a man. I am not a kid, I am not a boy. Those signs asked people to do one thing: treat me with the respect you would give any other human being, because I am a man.

A lot has been said about Dr. King having a premonition, especially as people look back and listen to his Mountain Top speech. But as one of his close friends said, he had given that type of speech many times. King knew he was in danger, and he didn't expect to live a long life. He was willing to give his life for a cause he truly believed in--one that was more than worthwhile.