University of Minnesota Moment: Martin Luther King Day

Transcription

[Announcer]: I'm Rick Moore with the University of Minnesota Moment. Today Americans honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s impact on American society has been significant, says Keith Mayes, an assistant professor of African American and African studies at the University of Minnesota.

[Mayes]: The impact that Martin Luther King, Jr., had on our society had everything to do with the way in which he [was] involved in the discussion around race relations in this country. He consistently held a mirror up to Americans and made America see its wrongs in the area of race. He was able to do that over the course of his career—his short career—and he did it in a number of ways. It wasn’t only to shame America, but it was to make America live up to its promises, to make America live up to its ideals as written in the Constitution, and to say that tomorrow can be a better day, not only for African Americans but for all Americans.

[Moore]: King’s vision of racial, social, and economic justice is still important in 2006, Mayes says.

[Mayes]: I think when we reflect on Martin Luther King in 2006, we have to understand that the legacy and the dream of putting those who are downtrodden in American society first has to be something that is kept at the forefront of our consciousness as a country.

[Moore]: With the University of Minnesota Moment, I'm Rick Moore.