The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray has told Zimbabwean youths to emulate the life of the late American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jnr and to be champions of positive change in their communities.
Ray on Friday addressed over 150 high school students from four different schools in the Zimbabwean capital Harare on the life of King who was assassinated in 1968.
The address, organized by the US embassy’s Public Affairs Section, was held to commemorate the life of the civil rights campaigner who was assassinated 42 years ago.
Drawing from his personal experience during the days of the civil rights movement, Ambassador Ray narrated to the students how King’s actions changed the fabric of society in the US.
“When Dr. King appeared on the scene, it was for many of us who lived in the south, like a sign from heaven that things were changing. We could follow his example, hold our heads up with pride, and show that no one had cause to look down on us, ” said Ambassador Ray.
He challenged the students to draw from the experience of King when conducting campaigns for positive social change, noting that he “was truly gifted in his ability to communicate important ideas.”
“I never knew him personally, but I’ve come to know some of the people who were close to him, and they all say that he was true to his beliefs. From him though, I learned some important lessons. Don’t hate your oppressor ; pity him, and return love for his hate. Learn that the most powerful weapon you possess is your ability to forgive, and to love,” the US ambassador said.
King was the one of the most eloquent voices in the US civil rights movement during the 1950s and ‘60s.
As a political organizer, supremely skilled orator and advocate of nonviolent protest, King was pivotal in persuading his fellow Americans to end the legal segregation that prevailed throughout the south and other regions, and in sparking support for the civil rights legislation that established the legal framework for racial equality in the United States.
Americans celebrate his life with a holiday on the third Monday of each January.
Source African Press Agency
