Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
- Pride, U2
April 4, 1968, will be a day that will forever be a day of mourning. A day when one of the bravest men to ever walk the face of the earth, was taken years before his time.
The night before King made his "I've been to the mountain top" speech where his prophetic words came true all too soon...
"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. "
Six years later on the same day, Hank Aaron helped to reach that promised land. April 4, 1974, on Major League Baseball's opening day, Hank Aaron hit homerun number 714, tying him with Babe Ruth for the all time record.
Hank Aaron was now at the top of the mountain. Hank Aaron now saw the promised land. Like King, he persevered through racism, name calling, eating on the bus as opposed to in the restaurants with the rest of the team. Sleeping in separate hotels. He overcame death threats and threats of harming his family. Hank Aaron overcame and was on top of that mountain. Aaron would eventually reach that promised land. Hank Aaron would go on to hit 41 more homeruns. His 755 homeruns were the most in major league history. His record stood for 34 years, until Barry Bonds broke the record in 2007.
Here is a timeline of Hank Aaron's tumultuous homerun chase: http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/aaron/timeline.html
Martin Luther King would have been proud of Hank Aaron. And Martin Luther King is the epitome of PRIDE.
I present to you a tribute to Dr. King, using U2's "Pride". I encourage you to watch the video and listen to the lyrics. I've included them in their entirety below.
In Memoriam: Dr. Martin Luther King
January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love) -
One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One come he to justify
One man to overthrow
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
(nobody like you...)
Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love...
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