In this April 3, 2008 editorial from the Richmond Free Press archives, our late publisher and founder Raymond Boone reflects on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Boone, who championed civil rights through his journalism, draws parallels between Dr. King’s activism and the ongoing fight for justice in our communities.

Dr. King was a courageous leader for human rights — one who paid the ultimate price for the poor and neglected in a society in which injustice is deeply entrenched. Indeed, when Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn., he surely was not dreaming. He was typically acting for justice, helping black Memphis garbage workers organize for the same wages and working conditions extended to white garbage workers.

On Friday, April 4, we should remember Dr. King as an activist dedicated to correcting wrongs. In this spirit, the Rosa Parks Student Association Organizing Committee, suggests three commendable actions:

Take a moment for silent reflection; wear a green ribbon to show support for affordable housing and the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast still suffering from Hurricane Katrina and disgraceful government incompetence; and join the movement to pass U.S. Senate Bill 1668 to protect public housing in New Orleans for displaced people, most of whom are African-American.

We also can take individual action in Richmond and across Virginia.

We can vote daily with our huge volume of dollars, supporting only those businesses and organizations that respect the average person.

We can contact our public officials, reminding them that they have an obligation to represent our interests as voters.

We must continue to stay abreast of political candidates in preparation to vote in the November general election, which will determine, to a large degree, whether our nation will continue to disastrously decline.

We must discard the notion that we are helpless.

We must place emphasis on self-reliance, taking control of our lives and making decisions that are in the best interest of ourselves, our families and our community.

These are a few of the positive ways that we can appropriately remember Dr. King.