“Remember, that the power to redeem the soul of America lies where it always has laid; In the hands of we the people.”- President Joe Biden

Citizens in Atlanta gather downtown at “Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park” to remember the phenomenal civil rights leader. King is not only one of the great icons in America, but the world also. People of different nationalities visit the museum to get a background story of King. “I believe in the dream he had for people to be treated with equality, no matter their skin color. I am a proud Iranian American woman,” said Jasmine Sherene, who was voicing her peaceful protest to shed light on the injustice happening in her country.  

Many recall the “I Have a Dream” speech but do not recall other accolades King had achieved. Not only did he receive a Grammy award for Best Spoken Word Recording for “Why I Oppose The War in Vietnam,” and a Nobel peace prize for his nonviolence resistance to racial prejudice in America. Also received the “Presidential Medal of Freedom Award” from President Jimmy Carter; which is the highest civilian award. Nevertheless, these awards were not the goal of King’s work but the fruits of his labor.

King wanted more for underprivileged African Americans, and he did everything in his power to achieve equal rights without converting to violence. The overall goal for King was equality. King was a major factor in the civil rights movements, being the leading force in events such as the “March on Washington”, and “Montgomery Bus Boycott”. As crowds explore the area, King’s words ring out over the intercom filling the streets of Atlanta. 

President Joe Biden honors King by visiting “America’s freedom church” adding to its already historical presence. Biden is the first sitting president to give a Sunday sermon at King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. King had a dream that African Americans would be treated with respect, and equal human rights. “It’s still the task of our time to make that dream a reality because it’s not there yet,” Biden says giving Americans reassurance that we are still not a perfect nation.

Biden not only agrees with the vision King had but says “the battle for the soul of this nation is perennial.” The people of America must act to become a nation without racial injustice. It is an everyday battle knowing right from wrong and choosing right. A powerful quote from the President reminds us, “That the power to redeem the soul of America lies where it always has laid; In the hands we the people.” A way for people to honor King is to continue to fight for his dream.