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31 Memories and echoes of Martin Afterthefuneralprocession,wespentthenightattheCreecy’shome and the next day returned to Selma and the house filled with so many memories of our dear friend. We have consciously or unconsciously saved items, chosen not to have furniture recovered, all in an unspoken attempt to retain the presence of our friend Martin. finally, years later, i could not stand the carpet in one of the bedrooms any longer; it was worn out and unraveling! i had the carpet replaced where staff had sat, Martin had talked and spilled cough medicine, and many had slept. i can walk through any room of this house and in my mind’s eye remember and see activity. i will see something on television that will trigger a memory or something in the newspaper or a magazine that will make me recall an event in the house. Maybe we need another movement, over forty years later, this time focusing on the needs of the people, such as education reform, health, theeconomy,theglobalenvironment,andrebuildingAmerica. Let me stop here and explain what i mean by a movement today. if the government will not provide for its citizens, the legal system does not treat all persons fairly, and the church is still segregated, not welcoming certain people into their flocks, then the people have to find Memories and echoes of Martin / 149 a way to be heard. if no one is listening, the people have to make themselves heard. young people have limited access to a college education , and many of our youth do not finish high school. Jobs are going overseas and the standard of living for Americans is rapidly deteriorating . With no jobs comes no hope. What will we leave for the next generations? Maybe we need another movement that will benefit all the citizens of this great country and not just a privileged few. A movement that will make education, economic success, and religious freedom equally attainable and accessible to all. in this country power and money make the mare trot. Power is money and money is power. The past movements made us look at ourselvesandseekabetterworldforalltoexist.Wehavemademany changes and we still have a long way to march. Common issues of today are being discussed by individuals and groups, all with different agendas and styles in an attempt to bring the message of justice and freedom to America. People of color in this country and around the globe have endured generations of hardships . but now we must join the world and make our communities better for the future existence of everyone. All of the dreams of America have not been met, and the founding fathers knew the riches America holds and hoped that we would establish justice and freedom here first and then be a shining example for the world to see. This was Martin’s dream, too. God will somehow send a leader for the people, and he or she will pull the voices together and make a difference. i believe Martin Luther King Jr. was such a leader sent to help his people and all of humanity. Most of the men who were central figures in the civil rights movement are now gone to receive their just reward from their maker. My beloved husband, Sully, died in 2004. Seldom does a day go by that i am not filled with memories of my love for him and the times when 150 / Chapter 31 we watched as history was indeed made in this country and in our house. Sully and i loved each other unconditionally, raised a wonderful daughter, and were privileged to play a small part in making this world a better place. What more can a young girl from Mobile, Alabama, ask? We have also lost many of the women who stood behind the men. Coretta’s death in 2006 made us all pause. After Martin’s death, she spent the next forty years championing Martin’s causes and making sure we would never forget his legacy. The rest of us are watching our children and grandchildren make their way in this world filled with all its joys and pains. We cannot all be a Martin Luther King Jr., but each and every one of us can make a positive difference in the lives of our families and the people we meet each day. for you see the dream is still alive. Selma, Alabama, the city that gave us the voting rights movement, has not done as well as it should...

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