And thank you, everyone for joining us today as we commemorate 56 years since dr. Martin luther king juniors assassination at the Lorraine Motel in 1968, dr. King traveled to memphis, tennessee, to support striking sanitation workers as they demanded their civil and human rights. Its been the National Civil rights long standing to honor and preserve the legacy of dr. King. As we chronicle the American Civil Rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights here at the museum, we educate and serve as a catalyst to inspire action, to create positive social change. Im reminded of what king stood for. He said, yes, if you want to say what i that. I was a drum major, say that i a drum major for justice. Say that i was a drum major for peace. It was a drum major. I was drum major for righteousness and all the shallow things will not matter how dr. Kings legacy urges all of us to to push the arc of the moral universe, to build clearly and directly towards justice justice. We are honored to have some very special guests joining us today. All of them justice fighters in their own right. Please join me in welcoming memphis mayor paul young and tennessees. So honored to be mayor paul young and honored to be here 56 years later. Dr. Kings words are still some of the most powerful words ever spoken. In 1967, dr. King said these words. He said i say to myself that is too great a burden to bear he said, i have decided to stick, to love for i know that love is. Ultimately, the only answer to mankinds problems and i think this is the Perfect Moment in memphis history for us to all remember and embrace those words as the largest majority black city in the nation nation actually. And this is the time for us to speak. Love and life, entire community. Yes. And i and i firmly believe that we have to be the ones to lead this national discussion. Weve got to learn to stop the hate fueled and negative narrative collectively and as strong, united community. Were going to have to fight the urge, speak, heal, and instead use voices to uplift our city and our people. We must recognize that dr. Kings words are true, as they were then. They are such as our truth today, as they were back then. In 1967, dr. King said this. He said, you may the eloquence of articulate speech, but if you have not love, it means nothing. And i want all of us to really hear that. Let us use our our eloquence and our collective voices to share the memphis narrative that we want the world to know the largest black city in america, also the most innovative it is the most welcoming and the most talented city in america that is the problem. In essence, with all of the positives that it naturally embodies. Lets lean into the culture. Lets lean into the innovation lets lean into the talent. And most importantly, lets lean into the law. Thank you all so much. Have to bring the mic down just a little bit. Ella, everyone, my name is ramesh and i have the privilege to serve the Senate Minority leader here in the state of tennessee. I represent, memphis and shelby county. And this is my 11th year in the general assembly. So people ask me, why are you still there . And i ask myself the same question and i feel that up on my head. It certainly is and for the salary in there, i just but ill tell you why now. Because one of my favorite quotes from dr. King lifes most persistent, urgent question is what, are you doing for others . And so in my position as a state senator, i try and focus on issues that affect our community from poverty to every child, getting a Great Public School to getting some of these guns off our streets. People want look downstream and complain about the problem. And, you know, they act like this is a big man. But quite frankly, the problems are created in and they trickle down to the problem. And dr. King, i want you guys to just dont hope you have people fighting for you. We might be outnumbered, but you even with outnumbered, what do you call it . The line. And we happy. We are happy. And we will not give up in the spirit, dr. King. We will never yield. I may have tried to kill the dream. They killed the dreamer. But they did not kill the dream. And he lives on in our legacy. We sit in those chambers that were not designed. People like us, when we hold positions that have never been held before, we are inching away and breaking more and more glass to realize dr. Kings dream. So lets stick together we are memphis and memphis is us. And dont let anybody tell us who we are, what we are, and what we can do. Because at the end the day, we are a beautiful city on the mississippi river. Yeah, home of the blues or. A place of rock and roll. We have eclectic mix of people from black, brown, yellow, persian blue origin. I mean, what is okay i just know we are the greatest city. We the greatest city in tennessee and we are because of our people and our legacy. Dont hope, dont lose faith. We march on. Thank you all. In celebration of our youth the winners of the i am a man portrait will perform these students will be presented by miss sharon widmer, president of memphis lakes, inc. Memphis chapter. Please welcome. Now they. Good afternoon. Im sharon, president of the memphis tennessee chapter of the lynx inc. Im bringing you great hands on behalf of 60 amazing and talented leaders in the city, including our program director, amanda morris, our at art fassett members sandra morris, Pamela Randall and adrian and connie dyson and with the memphis, tennessee chapter stand. Its been a collective effort and thank you for all your assistance to get us to stay. Were so patient and have quite a presence. The king family today, the memphis, tennessee chapter. Philips is proud, very proud to have with the National CivilRights Museum, tens the next generation to commemorate the life and legacy of dr. Martin luther king. For 71 years, our chapter has been serving the Memphis Community to support worthwhile projects that enhance the quality of life in this city. We honored to make history again today. Today, for the first time in this language space, the focus is on young people. They will commemorate dr. Martin luther life and legacy and their in their words and in their own way. It is befitting that young people be the ones to celebrate our history and our future is in their care. The spoken competition was made possible through the support of the fedex freight and Baptist Memorial Health care. Congratulate scholars april 4th will always heartfelt and we are thrilled, thrilled and to share these young peoples perspective of what it means to them. Thank you. Mark. That member, Adrian Arundell introduced our winners. And the National CivilRights Museum and memphis, tennessee chapter of the Links Incorporated are pleased to present the i am the legacy poetry and spoken word competition in winners. Katelyn shaw is our third winner, caitlin in the southport Little College high school. Her work is inspired by her mother, who had the gift for turning everyday observations. Shared wisdom came wants to become a civil rights attorney and aspires to achieve a platform. She continued. In a just world with freedom and equality, listening to its veins where we all must be very smart, 1853 the day we were all announced free yet dr. Still had to fight for me. My ancestors gain control of their body, but our minds, goals and rights are still not to be on free medicine. However, we are not just a History Lesson taught by someone that looks nothing like dr. King. Malcolm, with the sign of support, showed me. Now its time for everyone to receive a of me to better our nation for this generation and the ones to come after me. I believe the legacy is not only inside of me, but in everyone fearlessly like me. Oh, to in a just world with freedom and equality for you and for me and the legacy. Layla smith as our second place winner, a at Middle College high school, layla is committed to building a Success School career that reflects her primary family kindness and grace. She uses voice to make a positive impact wherever she can with passion, creativity and faith. Freedom, freedom. What do you mean . Is it just a word or feeling unseen . Is it in the wind, in hair . As we run wild and free . Or is it in the chains that bind us, that we struggle, break free, freedom, they say, is a birthright, we claim. But for many its a dream. A flickering flame in the hearts of the oppressed its a battle cry, a call to arms, the kids reaching the sky. This oh, justice, where do you in the shadows of injustice do you finally comply . You are the scales balancing right and wrong in a world where the lines blur, where the weak is too strong, you are the voice of the voiceless is your truth speak, but justice is not, as they often say. It sees the pain and suffering in day by day here we in the wake of a dreamer vision, dr. King, his word carved into the soul, our nation, a legacy of love and justice. He spoke of dreams. I have a dream for Martin Luther. His legacy lives his dream our, dream a world free from hate. A world where all are equal. But lets not forget the struggle, the sacrifice made, the last life for every we made there were those who found their name engraved in history. As for me, i am legacy. Carrying. Lauren was our first place when her darian as a Middle CollegeHigh School Sophomore who challenges herself through an expanding love in words and literature. Darian plans to join her familys business well as continue that entrepreneurial spirit through work as a photographer shes immensely grateful to her who have nurtured creativity and encouraged her to use her voice. Yes, that thing your mom had left us. The thing that leaves a bitter taste on a mans tongue, that hope for a better future, the hope for an attainable future. She had the dream and we had that moment, though, when his eyes closed would open into our utopian black dream of equality. Yet almost 50 years later, white women still clutch their purses, and black men still a threat. Is this what we deserve . Are we not the people the constitution was talking about . Are we not human . Do we not matter . We risk so much. But how far . I havent really gone. I want to tell my kids the story of our of our fight for freedom. But the same stories i have are the stories that make them feel their power. The same stories, the same power they have to overcome and make a change is the same power that makes them dangerous. That same power that put the struggle ahead of them. We can say all day long, we can rave about how far weve come, but really compared to how far we are running, what have we done . What can we do to empower our people to give them that strength, that fire that is repeatedly snuffed out a soul, a milk doesnt come often, that spark doesnt ignite. But once in a while. But even when that fire blown out, that smoke covers us all like a blanket. We feel that we breathe it in. So whats the thing . Mlk left us. He left with a duty, a purpose. He cleared the road, and now we have to walk it. Then i think he left us. He gave us our mission. But whos going to be like the torch and . Hold it. Proud me. I am his legacy. Thank you for walking off being the i am the legacy speaker. Congratulations. Andre waters. He is a social justice act and president of the drum major institute. She is champion civil nonviolent, antihate and social change initiatives throughout her life. Designing programs to advance understanding and activism. She has a strong of youth activism and believes in helping young people. Take a peaceful, effective stand for the world issues that concern the most. As president of drum major institute, she plays a Critical Role in creating Strategic Partnership efforts. She also manages daily of this actors justice organization. Were thankful to have us, reverend dr. Wells sanders, who would deliver the message. Reverend dr. Is the rector of Saint GeorgesEpiscopal Church in germantown, tennessee, where she has served years. She has recently been the 11 bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of mississippi. Dr. Wells coordination is scheduled for july of 24. Dr. Wells holds degrees from Rhodes University of memphis Memphis Theological Seminary and Candler School theology at emory university. She is a former practitioner and practicing attorney in memphis and has served on the board of directors for metropolitan Interfaith AssociationChurch Health center room in the in memphis and the Community Alliance for the homeless. She is a published offer. Her essays can be in several publications, including the Christian Century church, a and the anglican digest. After a selection from the crown slingers and hearing from ms. King, the voice after that you will hear will be reverend dr. Rev dorothy wells. Is this. Is. All. God. She. Will not. Oh, oh. Oh, lets dance. Oh. Thats oh. Its been. So. Oh oh, yeah, so. You. Oh, oh. Well, thank god. Yes. Oh, so. Get. This. Oh, so i. It. Sounds like my mind that god. Is really. I will. Thank. You. Oh, i. Go oh man to. My. Oh yeah. Oh oh. Yes. Oh, oh im going to get that. Oh. Im gonna get high. So now. Now andre he. Good afternoon. Here comes that dream or they said come lets lay him and then we shall. What the concept of his dream dream on. Fourth 1968 in rome. 306 Martin Luther king, june year ended his earthly journey and on that day Coretta Scott king. Instantly became a single mother to four young children. And four young children, went to bed at night without the comfort of their father and years later, a little was born in atlanta that would never know the comfort of sitting on her grandfathers lap, hearing bad times for his. And so here we are today and some ways it seems even farther from that dream. But what we as family and why we decided to be here today as difficult as it is for us to stand here is that there is something that man cannot ever destroy. And that love and that faith and that vision that lived inside of Martin Luther king junior. Now lives inside each and every one of us because all those the dreamer who lost his life gave and sacrificed for each and every one of us standing here today, the dreamer was silenced. But the dream was not. We are here today to remind america. That the dream is alive. That love is alive that hope is alive. Were here to remind america that, no matter how difficult the days are, how dark it may seem, those still ring true that Martin Luther king junior reminded all of us on april 3rd,. 1968. He did not make it all the way to the mountaintop, but he ignited in each one of us a vision and a dream. And now, in 2024, it is up to each one of us to our part, our vision in making the community a reality for all of gods children. So we want to thank the National CivilRights Museum for the work that they do every day at a time when history is being taken from our children, they are here to. Remind us of our history because history is not about collective guilt, it is about collective response, ability. At a time when our daughter, dr. Kings only at age of 16, never got chance to hug her grandfather, never got a chance to sit on his lap. And all of the sad that he made she and her peers are now sitting and living with fewer rights than the day that they were born. We are here today because we are strong people. We are mighty people and we are here to remind america that we will continue to stand until all of the triple evils of racism and bigotry and poverty and violence are a thing of the past. And until peace and justice and equity truly rolls down in righteousness, every hilltop, every mountaintop every place in these United States of america, were here to. Remind america that we are united not by hate, not by division, but by love. One People United under god. Thank you very. Please, reverend dr. Dorothy sanders. Well. Thank you very. It is such an honor for me to be with you today. In his. 67 book where do we go from here chaos or community. Reverend dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Used images that are highly relatable to us in our modern time to speak to powerful connection between. All the human lives, that connection which should propelling us forward into collaborative and cooperative that seek uplift all. Dr. King wrote all men are interdependent. Every nation is an air of a vast treasury, of ideas and of labor. To which both the living and dead of all nations have contributed, whether we realize it or not each of us lives eternally in the red. We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women. When we arise in the morning we go into the bathroom where we reach a sponge. And its been provided to us by a Pacific Island where we reach for soap that has been created for us by a european. And then at the table we drink coffee, which has come to us from a south american or tea from china or cocoa from the west. Before we leave for jobs, we are already beholden to more than half the world. Dr. King wrote these words decades before the words Global Economy became part of our national parlance. He understood concept of the connection between of humanity and our vocation and being not because he was an economist, but rather because he was a pastor. And as dr. King pastor, that i a pastor want to stop and remember and cele