MLK Essay: Keep Moving Forward

(This essay won first place at a district-wide level)



Keep Moving Forward


“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” - Martin Luther King Jr.


‘Keep moving forward’ is an encouragement. Dr. King said he dreamed that people will live in a nation where we won’t be judged by our complexion, but by the content of our character. He wanted us to strive to understand each other first, than to be understood. He wanted us to treat each other with kindness. Dr. King was thrown in jail, his house being bombed, received death threats and intimidation, yet, he marched forward with love, not violence. 

‘Keep moving forward’ is a proclamation. Dr. King fought for equality and racial justice, peacefully. Today, we still have racial injustice, barriers to voter participation and health care coverage, which we need to address. The people who believed they could make a difference, fighting for what they believed in, despite the barriers, those people have gone down in history, realizing their dreams. Dr. King was one of them, and his legacy proclaims that dreams are achieved by moving forward in the face of obstacles. 
‘Keep moving forward’ is a gospel. Today, with COVID-19 around the world, social distancing in place, no matter how frustrating it gets to have to stay home, or wear face masks, or avoid gatherings, we must keep moving forward. We should still persist even if it might seem useless trying. If we all do our part to prevent the spreading of the virus, eventually it will pass. Just like the virus, today, we need to stop spreading fake news that divides our nation. 

‘Keep moving forward’ is an urgent appeal. Dr. King is remembered for his role in civic rights and racial equality. However, he believed in saving the environment too. For example, the day before Dr. King died, he had helped rally striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. We must carry on his legacy. Since we only have one Earth, we must take care of it. We must move forward by repairing the damage, developing and using clean energy, and biodegradable products. 

‘Keep moving forward’ is an advocation. Dr. King also fought for women’s rights and equality. He marched with women who were underpaid. Today, we need to address joblessness, income gap, and food insecurity. Dr. King rightly said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” We must keep moving forward, undeterred, and speak out. 

No matter what comes in our way, we must keep moving forward, rising above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

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