Former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Joe Rogers honored the struggles and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. Wednesday night in his \Dream Alive"" speech as part of the Spotlight Series hosted by the Wisconsin Union Directorate.
""This is a remarkable evening, and a wonderful opportunity for all of us to come together tonight,"" said Rogers, asking the audience to greet those around them in a show of friendship.
Rogers, only one of four African-Americans to be elected to the post of lieutenant governor, stressed the importance of the past in determining the future. He pointed out that great wisdom has been able to carry through the generations, especially the ideas of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
""These words have pierced the veil of hundreds of years,"" Rogers said. ""By embracing the past, we have a better understanding about who we are.""
Rogers emphasized how King always acted with this wisdom, and that his efforts were always unselfish. To illustrate this, he cited King's desire to be remembered for his humanity rather than awards, a healer rather than a leader.
""In a remarkable way, he sought to lead a country,"" Rogers said of King.
The centerpiece of Rogers' tribute to King was a rendition of the famous ""I Have A Dream"" speech, which King gave in Washington D.C. in 1964. Rogers labored to connect the audience with the speech, intimately describing the speech atmosphere and emulating King's speech tones.
""He spoke substance to reality. He spoke with the context of our future,"" Rogers said quietly following the speech.
Rogers acknowledged while much work has yet to be done, the country had come closer to achieving King's dream. In support, he cited a recent survey, where 80 percent of African-Americans polled said they did not feel racism was an issue in their pursuit of employment.
""That says something remarkably good about how far we've come,"" Rogers said.
Audience members were highly moved by Rogers' speech. ""I think the speech went very well ... It provided a great message for all of us to keep the dream alive,"" said Christopher Loving, president of the UW-Madison Black Student Union.
UW-Madison freshman Emily Wilcox said she wholeheartedly agreed.
""I thought it was really moving, and I felt the way he did the speech was amazing.\
