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Tacoma Pastors reflect on Dr. King's final speech

Tacoma pastors say Dr. King's last speech so long ago still has power because it's a challenge to move forward today.
Dr. Martin Luther King

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech in Memphis, Tennessee 50 years ago. It’s known as the “Mountaintop Speech."

“It was almost like a prophecy,” said Tacoma Pastor Toney Montgomery.

Many believe Dr. King's final speech, in ways, foreshadowed his own death. Pastor Montgomery said it also gave the nation a task

"I think he actually captured his destiny in the process of getting to his destination and he left us with a challenge to step into our destiny.“

Tacoma Pastor Dr. Eric Jackson said King's speech was also prophetic in raising similar challenges that the nation faces today.

"We have a right to fight for our rights but then we look at issues such as Black Lives Matter or the gun protest, anytime we stand up to do what’s right there's a faction of society that says don't do that, you're wrong," said Pastor Jackson.

While Pastor Jackson was born around the time of Dr. King's assassination, Pastor Montgomery says he was about 12 years old when he got his first glimpse of Dr. King.

"He marched to Jackson, Mississippi and I was in a little pine tree about 20 feet away from him when he march at the capitol."

Pastor Montgomery said Dr. King's final speech gave us the courage to continue the movement.

"The words that he left us has such a deep abiding principle challenge. You step up to the challenge you step up and you take the dream and turn it into a vision and you turn it into a reality."

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