I remember January 1968

I remember participating in a peace walk in Newark, New Jersey, in January (or was it February?) of 1968. I was a teenager at the time. My home church, the Chatham United Methodist Church (Chatham, New Jersey), had invited people to participate. I went with several others who gathered in the church parking lot and we drove together. The summer before Newark--like most major cities in the United States--erupted in riots that resulted in buildings burned down and stores and homes destroyed. There had been pent-up frustration at the lack of progress in civil rights. Pent up frustration for a lot of reasons. This march in Newark would be in solidarity with the people of Newark. It would bring people together, black and white, to walk through the neighborhoods most affected and give witness to a new day, to the hope of rebuilding and to the ongoing effort to bring about human and civil rights for all.

As we arrived and began to gather together to begin the march, a rumor circulated that Martin Luther King, Jr. would come and join us. He did not come, but I remember how excited we were at the prospect. It energized just to think that he might be there.

The march went well. It was peaceful and there were many people from all over the state who joined together. I remember seeing my speech teacher among fellow marchers. She went to a different church but we saw each other and even walked together for a while. I gained newfound appreciation for Mrs. Tousley that day that lasted the rest of my high school years. 

Only a few shorts weeks later, Martin Luther King went to another city to participate in another march in solidarity with workers. That would be his last. 

I'll never forget that day in Newark and the the feeling that I might get a chance to see him, even walk with him. I am so glad there is a day set aside to remember.