- Music
- 04 Apr 18
Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy talks about how she came to recognise the legacy of Martin Luther King, who was shot dead on this day 50 years ago.
"I think I would have heard the name Martin Luther King on radio and television as a child without fully realising who he was," she says. "I would have learned about Martin Luther the 16th century theologian in school, it’s possible that as a kid I was a little confused by this, but I guess that in my early teens I would have become aware of King and the civil rights movement.
"I vividly remember remember seeing the 'I have a dream' speech on television. I remember one line hitting me strongly, where he emphatically states that, a person "will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”. That idea, the basic premise that people should be judged for "the content of their character” and not “the colour of their skin” struck a chord with me."
What's Martin Luther King's legacy?
He is an icon who relentlessly espoused a non violent pursuit of social justice. In today's society, we need people like that. More than ever, we need people of integrity to look up to.
Does she have any favourite tribute songs for Martin Luther King?
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"‘Pride' is a obviously great song. But then, a lot of people aren't aware that “Happy Birthday” was written by Stevie Wonder for King (he was part of a group of activists trying to make King's birthday a national holiday- which it now is). Best of all perhaps, to my ears, is the sublime song “Shed A Little Light” by James Taylor, where the opening line is “let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King…” It's a gorgeous tribute song."
Read our commemorative piece on Martin Luther King here: hotpress.com/politics/wholehog