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Remembering an Incredible Man

Posted January 17, 2025, 7:00 AM. Updated January 17, 2025, 6:35 PM.

In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey reflects on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Friday, everyone!

We’re hours away from a three-day weekend and I want to take some time to reflect on the amazing man we celebrate on Monday.

It’s no secret that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my heroes. For years I’ve had a large poster of him hanging in my office with the words of his “I Have a Dream” speech.

How I came to be such a fervent admirer is a funny story. As a kid, I had a vague understanding of Dr. King. I knew he was a civil rights leader and that he was assassinated. He died nearly a decade before I was born.

To be honest, I didn’t give much thought to MLK until I was asked to write a report on a historical figure in the fourth grade at Sandia Base Elementary. We were able to pick anyone, and I latched onto the slain civil rights leader for no other reason than the fact that his birthday was a week before mine. 

Writing that report awakened something in me that’s hard to describe. It opened up a window to humanity in all its glory and depravity, helped me recognize that our nation’s history is incredibly messy, and it showed me the importance of fighting for what’s right and of being a good person. Most importantly, it reinforced for me the importance of treating every human being with dignity and respect.

In the years since writing that report, I’ve come to other realizations about Dr. King. Most recently, I’ve been struck by how much he packed into his very short life. He was just 39 years old when he was killed and yet he managed to show the world the ugliness of racism and to lead a movement that got our nation much closer to racial equality. He made the world a better place, and he did it through his amazing speeches and by pushing for nonviolent resistance.

His words are as poignant and revolutionary today as they were when he uttered them more than a half-century ago. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”

"We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop ... I've looked over and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an amazing man. His legacy calls on us to continue working for equity and justice.

I’d be remiss if I ended my message without acknowledging the passing of Dr. Harold Bailey, the head of the local NAACP. Dr. Bailey, an Albuquerque High graduate, spent his life fighting for racial justice. He pushed and encouraged me to be a courageous leader for our students in Albuquerque, and I’m committed to leading the work he started with us. He will be missed.

Have a great weekend.

Seven Bar Elementary - Second Grade