47 years ago today, Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, and a Great Voice for Peace was seemingly silenced — and the world rightfully mourned both his passing and the apparent fading of his Great Dream. Indeed, I myself have recently heard others publicly pronouncing that Martin Luther King Jr. fully failed in his Mission of Love — that because our world is still an often vile & violent place (e.g. the ongoing aggressions of ISIS and the U.S. drone attacks that inspired them), that his efforts bore no lasting fruits and made no lasting difference …

Well, in honor of this most noble man who so courageously championed a most noble of causes, I unabashedly say that these opinions are nothing more than pure HOGWASH … Martin Luther King Jr. most certainly DID make a difference, and a great one at that. He inspired thousands to transcend a significant portion of their personal bigotries, he inspired hundreds of thousands to stand up against all forms of injustice, and he inspires millions to this day to make our world a more Peac-full place to live.

And to back up this more-than-mild claim I offer the following oft-forgotten facts:

*Fact #01) During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans achieved more progress toward racial equality in the United States than their previous 350 years combined …

*Fact #02) Dr. King is to this day internationally recognized as America’s preeminent advocate for nonviolence and as one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history as well …

*Fact #03) While others were advocating for freedom by “any means necessary” (including violence), Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words peaceful-yet-passionate and acts of nonviolent resistance to achieve seemingly-impossible goals; including the effectuation of the Civil Rights Act & the Voting Right Act …

*Fact #04) Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Nobel Peace Prize lecture and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” are among the most honored orations and writings in the English language … They are still revered & studied to this very day, and to this day still provide inspiration to hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people all around the world to live more peaceful lives …

*Fact #05) Martin Luther King’s courageous accomplishments are now taught to American children of all races (indeed, to children all around the world), and his teachings are studied by scholars and students worldwide as well … He is the only non-president to have a national holiday dedicated in his honor, and is the only non-president listed on the Great Mall in the nation’s capitol; both constant reminders & regular inspirations for us all to live as more peaceful world citizens, if not to champion the values of peace & harmony ourselves …

*Fact #06) MLK is memorialized in thousands of statues, parks, streets, squares, churches and other public facilities around the world as a leader whose moral teachings are increasingly-relevant to the progress of humankind, if not its ultimate survival …

*Fact #07) In 1963, Dr. King was one of the driving forces behind the March for Jobs and Freedom, more commonly known as the “March on Washington,” which drew over a quarter-million people to the national mall in Washington D.C. It was at this march that King delivered his famous aforementioned “I Have a Dream” speech, which cemented his status as a social change leader and helped inspire the United States to finally begin to ensure practical civil rights for all its citizens …

*Fact #08) In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. became the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize. His acceptance speech in Oslo is thought by many to be among the most powerful orations ever delivered at the event, climaxing at one point with the oft-quoted phrase “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant” …

*Fact #09) MLK’s human rights leadership emerged in the movement against South African apartheid in the early 1960’s, became even more prominent when he began to oppose the Vietnam War in 1965, and continued to be viable until his assassination in 1968 – repeatably emphasizing the fact that economic rights and human rights are necessary values for ALL the world citizens; and that they must be recognized as co-equal with political and civil rights …

*Fact #10) Martin Luther King Jr. King had a considerable impact on the development of international law, most notably via the adoption in 1965 of the “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” — the first human rights treaty signed after the Genocide Convention 1948. This legal precedent was clearly infused with & inspired by Dr. King’s teachings and the Civil Rights movement he was leading in the United States at the time …

*Fact #11) Finally, MLK continues to have an undeniable influence on thousands upon thousands of peacemakers & human rights advocates around the world; many of whom openly state that he was one of the primary inspirations for their noble work. A small sample of these brave, King-inspired peacemakers – who most certainly are making an enormous positive difference in our world today – include: Zainab Al Khawaja in Bahrain, Thich Nhat Hanh in France, Juan Nel in South Africa, Dina Wahba in Egypt, Kaspars Zalitis in Latvia, Shirin Ebadi in Iran, Dmitry Makarov in Russia, Elvira Fatykhova in Tatarstan, Anastasia Danilova in Moldova, Natasa Kandic in Serbia, Tolekan Ismailova in Kyrgyzstan, Yevgeny Zhovtis in Kazakhstan, Ramazan Bashardost in Afghanistan, Nurberdi Nurmamed in Turkmenistan and Hanaa Edwar in Iraq.

In conclusion then, my Friends, while it is true that 47 years ago today Martin Luther King Jr. was indeed murdered, and while it is true that on that day one of history’s greatest Lights of Peace did indeed fade into mere memory, and while it is also true that MLK’s personal Light of Love has indeed somewhat faded, each & every one of us can still choose to pick up his Great Torch and shine its brilliant magnificence powerfully into our own lives:  *We can each hold aloft the Torch of Kindness by reaching out courageously to the poor & the homeless & the downtrodden in our midst … *We can each hold aloft the Torch of Justice by respecting our animal brothers & sisters with a cruelty-free life (i.e. by going vegan, just as MLK’s wife & son did & have done) … *We can each hold aloft the Torch of Compassion by praying & preaching and indeed living Peace — by openly forgiving those who have trespassed against; by refusing to support corrupt politicians who would have us support their immoral wars; by reaching out to members of faiths & lifestyles “other” in order to bring them gently into the fold of our own circles of Friendship.

Yes, some will continue to claim that the world is still full of violence — that as such MLK made no real lasting difference, and that as such we ourselves need not even try to emulate or even support his great cause of Peace … AND YET in Truth, that opinion is actually nothing more than a feeble cop-out of penultimate cowardice.  For in Truth, we do not have to liberate hundreds of thousands or inspire hundreds of millions like Martin Luther King Jr. did in order to bring a significant portion of additional Peace to our still beautiful world.  Indeed, while it might be true that we may each only be able to do a little each day to bring Harmony & Joy into our own communities, that “little” is exactly what we have each been called to Do — and that surprisingly significant “little” is exactly what we all can do.

As such, I humbly ask that you please honor Martin Luther King Jr., and those like him who have carried the Torch before you … I humbly ask that you please do so by picking up that Great Torch and carrying it boldly forth into your own surroundings … and I humbly ask that you please begin to do so today.

Thank you.