Article by:
Shaundell Newsome
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is often regarded as a civil rights leader, a Black leader or one of the greatest orators in history. In sports he would get Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.) status. Globally this man should be regarded as a pillar in history and an icon.
Dr. King, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1964 has statues and monuments in The Westminster Abbey in London, Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem, Nigeria, Mexico City and on various continents within cities and states around the world. We cannot marginalize his efforts to one race or one country. He had an international impact. And he did all of this prior to being assassinated when he was just 39 years old. He’s one of the greatest humanitarians to walk the earth. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has more street names around the globe than anyone who is not a president, a philanthropist, or an influential investor. His body of service is what makes Dr. King the GOAT.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.
I personally use a lot of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes because he’s always on point. My wife and I visited the National Museum for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. We learned the magnitude of Dr. King’s influence in the world. I admire him because he crossed so many areas like economic development, human capital, civil rights, and healthcare. His Poor People’s Campaign was just initiated when he was assassinated. The Las Vegas community should be ecstatic about the 41st Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Parade and King Week Celebration in our city.
King’s complexity caused confusion. But that’s because many folks don’t understand his global impact. We have to understand the man.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Shaundell Newsome is a two-time SBA Award winner and former Chairman of the Urban Chamber of Commerce. His impact has been instrumental in the economic growth of Southern Nevada as a Marketing Director for Station Casinos, member of the United States Air Force and founder of Sumnu Marketing.