Governor Beebe's Weekly Column and Radio Address: Preserving a Dream and Creating New Ones

Statement

Martin Luther King, Jr. lived only 39 years, but his message of equality, social justice and non-violence has built a legacy that endures more than four decades after his death.

The struggle we face today in carrying out Dr. King's dream is not only fighting traditional prejudices and biases, but also showing a younger generation of Americans how to realize their own dreams in troubled times.

I spoke this past week to 43 dedicated citizens who have decided to make it their work to help their fellow Arkansans envision and pursue their dreams. These College and Career Coaches, hired through the Arkansas Works Initiative, are tasked to work with high school students in the 21 most economically challenged counties of our State. The coaches will guide those students toward career-and-education pathways they may not have otherwise known existed. They will show them the opportunities available to those willing to work hard for them.

One of the phrases these College and Career Coaches are using during training is: "You cannot be, what you cannot see." This is the struggle many in Arkansas and throughout America face today. Before they can dream, as Dr. King so famously did, as our founders did, and as generations of Americans have done and continue to do, they need a vision for their future. Too many have known only poverty, low expectations and other constraints. Now, fellow Arkansans will help open their eyes to what they can achieve and how their State can help them.

This service is emblematic of the spirit of the national holiday honoring Dr. King, which has become a National Day of Service. Even before that official day of service arrived this year, we already saw Arkansans and other Americans stepping up to offer aid and comfort in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has destroyed Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince. Tens of thousands have died, and far more are left struggling to survive in the disaster's aftermath. While relief organizations and private companies organize large-scale disaster response, thousands and thousands of individuals are digging into their pockets to make donations, even in economically troubled times.

It is the same spirit of service that has helped refocus Arkansas's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission toward honoring Dr. King's message and inspiring our youth. Re-organized last year, the Commission's 13 members are unified in their efforts to foster harmony within communities as the commission was created to do by our General Assembly.

In the spirit of commemorating both the birthday of a critical figure in American history and the legacy of service that will help inspire and guide new generations, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a time to celebrate one man's vision, reflect on what all of us can do to help serve each other, and build on that vision to create new dreams for tomorrow.

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