The Dream turns 50

ISSUE: Feb. 4, 2013

 

Commemorating the 50-year anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famed “I have a Dream” speech, UVU hosted King’s speechwriter Dr. Clarence B. Jones on Jan. 24.

“Let me define the power of that 50-year legacy by quoting Victor Hugo,” Jones said. “‘More powerful than the march of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come.’”

Dr. Jones used the commemoration to turn minds to remembrance and reflection, not only over the last 50 years, but to each individual’s daily life.

“This 50-year mark gives us the unique opportunity to look at where we are today,” Jones said. “Are judgments based on the color of skin really gone? The 50-year anniversary of my dear friend is more than a tipping point, it is a reckoning.”

By Nicole Shepard