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              Remembering Dr. King through Service
      Submitted by 
dsong
 on 
Sun, 01/14/2024 - 16:31Jan 15, 2024
        AmeriCorps Staff
  

                    August 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. His words still resonate today as a powerful symbol of his unwavering dedication to a fair and just society, urgingall Americans to unite in pursuit of a shared vision of freedom and justice. Six decades later,we continue to honor and be inspired byDr. King's legacyon MLK Day and every day, like our AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Florence.
FCAmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Florence**Learning Peace from Dr. King**

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Florence marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement. Florence was living in Phoenix, Ariz., with herairmanhusband. Like her experience growing up in Illinois, Florence faced discrimination in Phoenix, which motivated her to join the movement. More than 50 years later, Florencecontinuesto remember and honor Dr. Kingby servingher community as aFosterGrandparent in Illinois.

“Martin had a powerful voice. He was a short, dark-skinned Black man, but he had a voice that would project anywhere. When I first met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I was ready to fight. But the first thing he said when we got there to march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.,was, ‘If you want to fight, go home becausewe’renot fighting. This is going to be a peaceful demonstration.’ And he talkedusinto being peaceful, which I carry with me today.
marchGrandma Flo (far left) during the march“You justdon’tunderstand how it is whenyou’rein a situation like that. I was discriminated against, but never to that extent in Alabama. That was a horrible feeling to be discriminated against with dogs turned on you to bite you and police there with guns saying, ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ I never had that much power against me. We marched for as long as we could and spent nights out in the area,encounteringplanes flying overhead and bombs. There were a lot of times we were ready to give up, but Martin kept us going until that fateful day at the motel.

“Weweren’tsupposed to stay at that motelin Memphis, Tennessee. We went down to help bring thesanitation workersunion into effect. We were scheduled to stay at the hotel, but when we got there, they said wecouldn’tstay. We had to stay at the motel.They told Martin not to go out on the balcony, but he had to speak to his constituents. He had been out there about five minuteswhenhe was shot. I was in another room at the motel and came running to see if we could do anything, but therewasn’t. Everybody wanted to fightat that moment, butwecouldn’t. Weneededto go byMartin’swishes– be peaceful.”

**Committing to a Life of Service**

Grandma Flo has since dedicated her time to service. She joined ABC AmeriCorps at Sauk Valley Community College, serving in local schools, and then she continued to work in her community.She faced challenges againbutfound solace through service.They’retalkative in second grade, butthey’regreat to work with and willing to learn,andthat’sthe best part about it.
FlorenceGrandma Flo at her service site in Illinois“My husband left me; I was alone, just sitting at home, thinking of something I needed to do. I saw an opportunity to serve again as an older adult at ABC AmeriCorps, so I joined again to serve my community.Joining AmeriCorps Seniors is the best thing I have ever done because working with children gives me the incentive to keep going. The incentive to get up in the morning, come to school, and work with them. It’s veryrewarding, and you can learn from children. Children can teach you some things thatmaybe you’veforgotten.

“I don’t tellmy students or othersthat I marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., unless someone asks because peopledon’tremember. But MLK Day of Service means everything. They celebrate the day, andit’sa national holiday, but many people have forgotten Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Day of Service is an opportunity to honor him. More people should know what it was all about and how it affected everybody’s lives. They should never forget that.”

**Commit toBuildingthe Beloved Community**

Like Grandma Flo, manyAmeriCorps members, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and alums have found their purpose through remembering Dr. King. Whetherit’sto relive the memory of marching alongside Dr. King orhonorhis legacy, AmeriCorps has been committed to joining together in service to unify Americans ofdifferent backgroundsand experiences to transform unjust systems.

Committo serveandcreate ripples that make a world of difference.Join the thousands of Americansfrom allwalks of lifewho willparticipatein service projects to honor Dr. King’s legacy.Through service, together, we are one step closer to the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream.
          PreviousFive Things to Know About Public Service Loan ForgivenessNextMLK Day 2024: Thank You for Building the Beloved Community Back to main content Sign up to hear about our latest news, events, and opportunities.
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