I remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday: No cloudiness in my memory and no doubts in my historical perspective.

“Dr. Martin Luther King is a great man,” my mother would say.

I remember being in school, being told Dr. Martin Luther King had been shot, and not knowing why anyone would want to end another man’s life so tragically.

I remember my mother’s words clearly.

“He moved the hearts of all men,” she said.

I remember the days that followed. The news broadcast on the television. The reports relayed on the AM radio. Martin Luther King had been assassinated. Shot while in the hotel balcony of the hotel where he was staying: The culmination of a crusade and the end of a dream.

Television was a marvel of innovation. Only three channels, but three channels were enough. The evening news and the live broadcasts overshadowed all other events. Unclear black and white pictures etched a lasting memory. The next morning – in detail - newspapers reflected the events of Dr. King’s assassination.

“He was a great man,” my mother said. “A great man.”

On April 4, 1968, Dr. King’s dream ended. His struggles to bring people together now brought civil unrest. In more than 100 cities, his assassination led to riots. An angry nation sought to recover.

On Monday, January 18, we celebrate the life of one of the greatest civil rights leaders the world has ever known. There is no denying his accomplishments.

He conferred with President Kennedy; campaigned for Lyndon B. Johnson in his bid for the presidency; was named Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1963; was awarded five honorary degrees; and at the age of 35, was the youngest man to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. He became not only a symbolic figure of America, but a world leader.

Today, he is remembered for his famous speech “I Have a Dream” and for his campaign to end racial segregation and for racial equality in the United States.

There is also no doubt that Dr. King’s contributions helped Mexican Americans into the mainstream of American life and politics. His efforts, and the efforts of others in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, created a political atmosphere that greatly benefited all minorities and all of us here.

While there remains little doubt that Dr. King’s speeches and writings had an impact on America’s social evolution, the question now is how should we celebrate his legacy? Should we continue to honor his dream? And, could his message be more important today than in the four decades since his death?

In truth, Dr. King’s message of peace in a land where every man is free should never be forgotten. His works and his accomplishments unquestionably changed the world we live in and helped to build a better relationship among all men.

It’s quite conceivable Dr. King would be content with the legacy he left behind. His work continues today and the positive social change brought forth by his efforts did not end with his assassination years ago. It continues to this day.

As Dr. Martin Luther King so aptly put it, “We may have come from different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now.” Attorney general warns about