Dr. King and equality in America

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bobby Cummings
  • 9th Reconnaissance WIng Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Team Beale held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day luncheon at the Recce Point Club Jan. 15.

The event featured guest speaker Chief Master Sgt. Leslie Gould, 9th Reconnaissance Wing command chief.

"Dr. King's speech lasted slightly more than 16 minutes, but the impact of its words are still felt today," Gould said. "It continues to shape our society as we know it."

During the luncheon, the famous "I have a dream" speech delivered by Dr. King on Aug. 28, 1963, was shown in its entirety to remind the audience of the transcendent words spoken by Dr. King. These words have echoed across the nation since being delivered.

"His speech referenced several historical documents including our Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution," Gould said. "That is how he tied it to America's conscience and made it relevant to our cultural climate."

According to King, we should not judge one another on our ethnic backgrounds or social beliefs but rather the content of our character.

King is widely considered the leader of the Civil Rights movement during the middle of the 20th century. He was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. King routinely delivered speeches on equality in America throughout the 1960s.

"I believe we all would agree that Dr. King's speech was extremely powerful and reached generations of Americans," Gould said. "Equality promotes people to dream, which leads to achievement, which enables change."