A March To Remember MLK

It's safe to say Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior would not recognize a lot about this country as it exists today.

A lot of it would probably bring a smile to his face as we celebrate his birthday.

There's the first African American president, minorities serving in all levels of government and being educated at institutions that once refused to admit them.

Though, today's generation insists there's more to be done.

"I don't believe he brought me this far to leave me," sings the chorus of the Black Student Union Ensemble group at East Carolina University.

More than a hundred E.C.U. students and members of the community at large made it a point to emphasize that Martin Luther King, Junior never left them.

"It's just my way to show my appreciation for what my ancestors have done for me," said E.C.U. sophomore Danielle Defreitas.

"Sometimes I think us as black students, we take that for granted, cause 40, 50 years ago, we would have had to fight to be here," said E.C.U. sophomore Meisean Wilson.

They marched on this night to show there are still reasons to fight.

"We're not there," Wilson said.

"It doesn't have a finish point,” said event organizer Eric Anthony. “There's always more and more you can do. There's never a point where you go, 'OK, well we achieved this, let's stop.' Alright, we achieved this, what else we can do."

Reminders of Martin Luther King, Junior filled Hendrix Hall on campus, including of course, some of his immortal words.

"I have a dream today. Let freedom ring. If America's to be a great nation, this must become true."

"People say racism isn't around, it is, it's just not as broad as it used to be,” Wilson said. “It's more subtle and that's a problem. We just got to learn to love again."

"One person you think is totally opposite from you can be just the same as you are," Anthony said.

That is indeed the message M.L.K. delivered on that summer day in Washington, D.C.

Yet, despite all the barriers that have been broken, people here want to knock down the intolerance, inequality and injustice that still stand.

"The goal is to make those people even think for one second, maybe, possibly they can change their opinion and that's how you get things started," Anthony said.

"I just can't give up now," sings the chorus.

Organizers say the challenge facing this generation is to decide what to do next to help people who still suffer.

They point to Americans struggling to recover after Hurricane Katrina and the millions of people trying to survive after last week's earthquake in Haiti.