Mary Holmes Boston

"2020 Vision" Poetic Reflections On A Very Different Year Mary Holmes Boston

One of the most memorable events of my life was the time I marched in protest with the sanitation workers who were being treated unfairly by the city government in Memphis Tenn. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to Memphis to advocate and support the cause of the sanitation workers. Dr. King's last public speech was made that fateful weekend in Memphis as he was assassinated the following day in 1968. It was this riveting speech which has been referred to as "the Mountain Top Speech," that I had the honor of hearing at the Mason-ic Temple before his death. I was moved as Dr. King spoke of injustice and racism in our nation. He implored people to let their voices be heard in non-violent protests and that God would be on the side of righteousness. He abhorred violence and anger. As a college student, I was moved and motivated to speak out against those institutions and people who oppressed and denied citizens their rights in our democratic society.