SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- It's been more than 50 years since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to more than a quarter-million listeners in Washington, D.C.
"... Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood ..."
Since then, the words and message of his speech have resonated with truths and impacts throughout the nation. In 1994, Congress directed the third Monday of every January would celebrate Dr. King's life and accomplishments during the Civil Rights Movement.
The 4th Fighter Wing hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Ceremony at Heritage Hall, Jan. 17, 2014.
The ceremony featured speeches from Chief Master Sgts. Craig Williams, 4th Security Forces Squadron security forces manager, and Woodrow Carter III, 4th Mission Support Group superintendent, as well as the mayor of Goldsboro, Al King. All three focused on the progress the United States has made in becoming a more equal nation, thanks in large part to the efforts of Dr. King.
"There were so many chances for him to give up and say 'I can't get through this' and he never did," Mayor King said. "He was so determined to walk through walls of fire and do what it took to make this country better."
Mayor King, who served 20 years as an officer in the Air Force, said he remembers a time when segregation was the law of the land.
When he graduated from high school, there were only a few colleges he could choose from. After he graduated and commissioned in the military, he still was not allowed to go into any restaurant or stay in any hotel he wanted to.
"... We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities ..."
But like Dr. King, he knew through perseverance and resilience that he would get through the tough times and one day live to see a more free nation.
"We need to make sure we never forget," Mayor King explained. "In these critical times, we need to be aware of these events everyday throughout the year. It is important we set aside one day for special programs to remember and give appreciation to people who paved the way and sacrificed so much to make the world and our country a better place."
After the three guest speakers were finished, volunteer members of the 4th FW took turns reciting prominent lines from Dr. King's speech.
"... I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character ..."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, patrons were invited to visit an information booth that detailed the life of Dr. King and all he did to make this country a better place to live.
"[He was] inspiring because there are many generations that have come up after him that he has impacted," said Capt. Thomas Webb, 4th FW chaplain. "Not only through his speeches, but through his conduct and attitude toward opposition and his behavior in the presence of his enemies."
Decades after his speech, Dr. King's words still echo across America; ringing the bells of freedom from shore to shore and chanting victoriously as the nation continues to transition from hate to hope.
"... With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood ..."