MLK

The North Carolina Democratic Party pauses today to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King was murdered at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead sanitation workers on a protest against low wages and unsafe working conditions.

This grim anniversary comes at a time when Democrats are poised to elect the nation’s first African-American or female President.

We carry the embers of Dr. King’s unfinished work as Democrats have successfully worked to increase state and federal minimum wage rates.

On this day when we recall the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we can also be inspired by the courage he showed in dark and dangerous times. His words continue to remind each of us to find our own words to speak out every day for a tolerant and just society.

"We have an opportunity to make America a better nation." These words, spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this day in 1968 shortly before his death, are just as true today. They still give courage to people of all nations who seek a more fair and just society. Dr. King lived without fear and his life reminds us how much can be accomplished by standing strong for what is right.

This Time/CNN story got me thinking.

There's a lot to feel down about this month: the subprime mortgage crisis, stormy, unpredictable weather, rising gas prices, presidential primary free-for-alls. So, it would be easy to believe the theory set forth by Dr. Cliff Arnall, a researcher from Cardiff University, that the third Monday of the month (Jan. 21, this year) — a day he calls Blue Monday — will be our most depressing day of the year. Arnall bases his yearly prediction on a formula he developed, which factors in the weather, consumer debt from holiday spending and failed New Year's resolutions and arrives at that conclusion that we'll hit rock bottom on Monday the 21st.

From a Democratic perspective, if this is rock bottom, imagine the view from the cheap seats in the Grand Old Party. I wholeheartedly disagree with the good Doctor's theory of today being the most depressing day of the year, and in fact draw hope from it.

As I've shared before, it's those words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that helped keep me from the bitterness of such a narrow loss for Congress in 2006. With our entirely grassroots campaign coming up less than 330 votes short of defeating an entrenched multi-millionaire Republican with virtually no help from the national party, bitterness was a temptation.

Dr. King's words, however, helped remind me and those closest to me that bitterness and regret were wasteful when there was so much to be thankful for and so much work left to do. We moved on and I hope we have honored his memory, and more importantly his spirit, with our people powered movement made up of working folks here in North Carolina.