Martin Luther King gave us a voice and a dream, says Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng as he marks Black History Month

FOR Black History Month, The Sun is celebrating the achievements of black figures in British life.

Here Conservative MP and business minister Kwasi Kwarteng reflects on the huge impact of US civil rights hero Martin Luther King.

Dr King’s impact continues to be felt on both sides of the Pond.

His iconic “I have a dream” speech on social justice is as relevant today as when it was delivered in 1963.

And his determination in fighting racism remains an inspiration.

MARTIN LUTHER KING’S most famous speech was in 1963 — and I was born in 1975, so it was something I was aware of from a young age.

I must have been 11 or 12 when I first watched it. I remember thinking: “This is pretty incredible.”

The language struck me, as no one ever spoke like that who I had heard of or seen on television.

It was really aspirational and eloquent.

What struck me most was the message that you can really reach for the skies and you shouldn’t let prejudice and discrimination get in your way.

Reading and talking about it was all quite living, real stuff and we were living it, even in the Eighties.

It hadn’t happened that long ago and when I watched it for the first time, the words were really inspirational.

The British experience with racism is slightly different, but Martin Luther King was a great inspiration for people of ethnic backgrounds to get into politics, to be represented and make their voices heard in the national debate.

DIGNITY AND MORAL FORCE

Dr King did two things in the civil rights movement in the Sixties — and it’s not clear that anyone else could have achieved them.

He was emphatic on non-violence, which he learned from what Gandhi had done in India.

He always insisted there should be no violence in protests. That gave him a dignity and moral force which was really impressive.

He was an outstanding leader people could look up to.

Secondly, he had an incredible eloquence that came from America’s Southern Baptist tradition.

Dr King was a preacher who read the Bible all the time. He had an amazing way with words.

His words live on and capture something of the vision — the dream, if you like — people still aspire to

Kwasi Kwarteng

That speech in 1963 shows the measure of the man’s intelligence, his vision and ability to inspire with words.

He talked about racial equality and judging people not by the colour of their skin but the content of their character.

He talked about people getting along in a multi-racial society.

It was a visionary speech and many of the things he talked about have been at the forefront of racial justice in the following decades.

Those words live on and capture something of the vision — the dream, if you like — people still aspire to.

Aside from his message, there is so much to learn from Dr King purely as a communicator.

He talks vividly and with clarity. He had the power to inspire people — and that is something we should all try to do.

His message was crucial and is as relevant as ever today.

He had genuine humanity and great personal courage.

The fact his life was at risk was borne out by his assassination on April 4, 1968, when he was just 39.

He packed so much into his life — and his achievements are acknowledged in the US every January with Martin Luther King Day.

That is hugely significant and shows how highly regarded he is in America.

COMPELLING AND PASSIONATE

He threw himself into whatever he did and I think he exhausted himself.

He was always studying and reading, debating and going on marches.

Very few people are as well known for their words as their actions in the way Dr King is.

He did things in a compelling and passionate way and his voice still resonates today.

I’ve heard and read “I Have A Dream” many times. It is included in any anthology of great speeches.

You read it now and it is still fresh, emotional and convincing, tackling head-on the appalling injustices black people were facing in the Sixties.

People talk about injustice today. In those days they had segregation, black people were frequently denied the vote and in large parts of America there was violence and the Ku Klux Klan.

The courage he displayed in the freedom marches, facing down the police and racist anger, was very impressive.

Through segregation and the oppression of black rights, they had second-class status.

It took people such as Martin Luther King to point this out and make clear that it was unacceptable.

There was stark racial hatred across wide stretches of America — and if people say it hasn’t changed a lot since then, I think it has.

If you had told Dr King America would have a black President by 2008, I doubt he would have believed you.

Very few people back then would.

We have not yet reached Dr King’s promised land, but we can’t pretend the world now is the same as in 1963.

He had so much energy and drive. He pushed himself to the limit, won a Nobel Peace Prize aged 35 and affected real change.

He was globally known. Today, we would call him a celebrity.

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