Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Young George Raveling was asked to be a volunteer security guard during the March on Washington and was next to Dr. Martin Luther King during King’s famous speech. Like most who heard it, Raveling was moved by the speech, but unlike anyone else, he asked King for his copy. And received it!
Raveling has been offered up to $3 million for the original copy of the I Have a Dream speech but has turned it down. Instead, he temporarily loaned it to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has bequeathed it to his alma mater, Villanova University, to shepherd into posterity. King would be proud that Raveling has focused more on the dream than the monetary gain he could have received by selling the document.
As we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday today, follow his example and do something that benefits others more than yourself. Take a moment to acknowledge the holiday and the sentiment behind it to contribute one action fostering unity in your community.
