embassy events

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Ambassador Cabaniss for MF Dnes

Dr. Martin Luther King

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  These powerful words were penned in a prison cell in 1963, by one of America’s best-known advocates of equal rights – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Today is the 20th anniversary of the first national celebration of Dr. King’s birthday as an American holiday, and despite his tragic death in 1968, his legacy and his timeless message of freedom and justice live on. 

I personally witnessed the impact that this one man had on my own hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, during a time when racial segregation was the norm. It was there that he wrote his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which began as notations written on the margins of a newspaper during his imprisonment, and later became an eloquent anthem of the civil rights movement.

Why was this man, who is so widely admired today, imprisoned in the Birmingham city jail?  Dr. King was a national leader in the struggle to end the racial segregation laws of the American South. These laws restricted black Americans from housing, voting, hotels, stores, educational opportunities and participation in community life.  Such laws were so deeply entrenched that when Dr. King led a peaceful march in protest, local authorities resisted with force, arresting the leaders and dispersing the participants with fire hoses and police dogs.  This reaction caused a change in public opinion, leading to the enactment of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most sweeping legislation ever enacted to protect minority rights in the United States.  This legislation helped change social and legal attitudes to bring the “American dream” of justice, equality, and freedom to all Americans, regardless of their race, religion, or ethnic background.

Dr. King drew on many sources for his inspiration, including Mahatma Ghandi, the Greek philosopher Socrates, and the British writer T.S. Eliot -- proof that his dream to achieve equal rights for all is a universal one that transcends time and culture. 
This goal is just as current now as it was in the dark days in which it was written, and it remains a precious dream to many people suffering from discrimination or repressive regimes.

Dr. King was frequently criticized for meddling in the affairs of others.  In 1967 alone, he traveled more than 780,000 miles to assist in political protests far from his home.  His response, written in his famous letter was that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  This principle is now widely recognized by countries and human rights organizations around the world.  The Czech Republic too lives by this standard, giving valuable support to those trying to bring democracy to countries such as Cuba and Belarus. 

I am proud to say that the story of Dr. King is a story of great success.  I have watched my hometown, once labeled “the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States,” grow into one of the most successfully integrated communities in the country.  One of our most famous citizens is none other than Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who has broken racial and gender stereotypes by becoming the first African-American female Secretary of State.  The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was opened in 1992 as a city-sponsored museum to remember its civil rights history and document the “stride towards freedom.”  The events that occurred in Birmingham now provide a relevant case study of conflict resolution with global application. We are living proof that people can change their course of history.  And therefore, on this day of Dr. King’s birth, we honor those with the courage to fight for justice, equality, and freedom for all.