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This summer I spent some vacation time in Atlanta,
Georgia with my family. While there, my youngest
son, Justin and I, made a pilgrimage to the Ebenezer
Baptist Church: the home church of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. and the birthplace of much of the civil
rights movement. In addition to being a place of
worship, Ebenezer Baptist Church is now a historic
landmark and teaching facility for those interested
in learning more about Dr. King and the civil rights
movement. As I entered, the simple grandeur of the
place struck me. The well-worn pews stood proudly
in the immaculate sanctuary. Speakers played recordings
of some of Dr. King's most famous speeches and I
immediately returned to 1965. I heard the applause.
I joined the chorus of "Amen's." I was
really there, part of the struggle…part of
that great movement.
I was snatched back to the year 2002, however,
when one of the national park rangers, who was assigned
to the church, lowered the volume on the speakers
so that he could give a prepared speech. Now, I
must admit that I became a bit annoyed at this point
because I thought, "What can this guy tell
me about Dr. King that I don't already know? I am
a black child of the 60's. I remember when he was
shot. I read about him in school. I have seen countless
documentaries on the civil rights movement."
But the learned park ranger surprised me. He didn't
start his presentation by talking about Dr. King
or the famous civil rights marches or even Ebenezer
Baptist Church. He started by pointing to two stained
glass windows to his left and to his right, which
bore the pictures of Dr. King's maternal grandfather,
Reverend A.D. Williams, and his father Reverend
Martin Luther King, Sr.
I learned that Reverend Williams, who served as
the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church for 37 years,
was an eloquent speaker and noted local political
activist who contributed his efforts-and meeting
space in his church-to a number of organizations
dedicated to the education and social advancement
of black citizens.
On Thanksgiving Day 1926, Williams' daughter Alberta
married Martin Luther King, Sr., a young minister.
The couple moved into an upstairs room in Williams'
home. King, Sr. worked weekdays, preached Sundays,
and spent evenings at Morehouse College studying
towards his divinity degree.
Reverend Williams mentored King, Sr. and upon Williams'
death in 1931, King Sr., or "Daddy King"
as he was affectionately known, took over as pastor
of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Like his father-in-law,
Daddy King's ministry focused distinctly on social
justice and he sought to engage and empower all
black citizens in his community. In fact, he once
proclaimed the Ebenezer Baptist Church as a home
for everyone "from Ph.D.'s to no D's."
Daddy King was an involved father who always stressed
the importance of education to Martin Jr. and his
other children. He embraced the concept that parenting
is a creative process. He did not sit his son down
one day when he was 13 and say, "Son, let's
talk about what it means to be a man." He understood
that this type of "discussion" had to
take place over the course of his son's entire life.
One example of his enlightened approach to parenting
was in the way he taught his children about the
importance of education. Before Martin Jr. could
read, he kept books around him so that he would
grow up as someone who viewed books and learning
as part of his life, not as something to "pick
up" in school. Assuredly, it's no surprise
that Martin Luther King, Jr. graduated from Morehouse
College at 19, and before turning 27, he earned
two additional degrees, a Bachelor of Divinity from
Crozer Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in theology
from Boston University.
In terms of his son's spirituality, King, Sr. understood
that this was a gift he could impart to his child
at a very early age. He knew that the most powerful
way to create a healthily spiritual adult - a leader
- was to grow together with his son in their faith.
To raise a well-educated child, King Sr. did not
just tell young Martin about books, he allowed him
to grow up with books. Likewise, he did not tell
his son about faith, he raised his son to live and
grow in their faith together.
Five-year-old Martin Jr. formally joined his father's
church in 1934. The young King preached his first
sermon under the guiding hand of his father at age
17 and soon joined him as co-pastor. In 1957, Ebenezer
Baptist Church held an organizational meeting for
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Martin Luther King Jr. became the first president
of the SCLC, an important organization at the forefront
of the civil rights movement. And the rest, as they
say, is history.
As the park ranger closed his presentation, I was
struck by one realization and one question. I realized
that generations before Dr. King uttered the now
immortal words, "I Have A Dream", there
were others-a grandfather and a father-who instilled
great dreams in him and had great dream for him.
He was the product of a legacy…a fatherhood
legacy. The question: What would have been the legacy
of the great dreamer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
if he did not have the guidance, nurturance and
support of those important dreamers who came before
him?
Stories like this one are the reason I have devoted
my life to making sure that every child grows up
with a father who sees how important he is to his
children - fathers who are devoted to leaving a
positive legacy for their children.
If any of this sounds nebulous, just think about
the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. What if his
father did not know how important he was to his
son? What if he did not realize that he had the
power to unlock the potential in a young man who
eventually became one of our country's greatest
leaders and heroes? And then think of the thousands,
and even millions of children who are potential
leaders and heroes who do not have the benefit of
a nurturing, loving father. We seek to turn every
father into one like Martin Luther King, Sr. …
a father who has a dream for his children.
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