European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Keeping King s dream alive by Ron Jensen a Furnberg Bureau n Early 25 years after the murder of Martin Luther King jr., the Black preacher lives on in the Homes of americans who remember and Benefit from his work. King would have been 68 years old on this Holiday honouring him and Many Black americans who came of age during his crusade for Equality Are passing his memory to a generation too Young to have known  my parents told me about him Quot said Charles Henry who was an infant in Lynchburg va., when King died in Memphis in i 968.those parental lessons took hold. When Henry now married to a Soldier was a Soldier himself a photograph of King Hung in his Barracks room. Quot he taught a lot of Black people to strive for what you want Quot said Henry 25, who works for cafes in Furth Germany. Kimp Mosley 21, also was raised in Lynchburg a. By a Mother who taught her children about King. Quot she quoted a lot of things he said to us Quot said Mosley a Driver for United parcel service and a member of a rap group. Quot she d sit us Down and talk to us about  Mosley said he would not have known about King had his Mother not made the Effort. The schools in Lynchburg Jie said did t teach about King or other Blacks in american history. Quot they Don t teach As much As you need to know Quot he said noting that most Black history is taught Only during a special month set aside for such lesson Quot it s not discrimination or racism but they just teach More about White history Quot he said. Spec Herbert Johnson of the 71st Man in in Furth was not yet bom when King died but the 20-year-old sums up the civil rights Leader s philosophy this Way Quot if they hit you turn the other  Quot i Learned about him from my family Quot said the native alabamian. Quot they taught some about him in a an entire generation has come of age since Martin Luther King or. Ded. School but not that  his Home had a photograph of King displayed but because of his father s Muslim beliefs Malcolm x was More of an influence. And Johnson can sum up that Leader s divergent philosophy As easily As he can that of King Quot if you throw a Stone at me i la throw a Stone at  Quot both were close to the truth. Back then things were going on where you could t turn the other  Zedeus Robinson 47, is a retired Veteran of the wars in Vietnam and the persian Gulf. The former enlisted Soldier has taught each of three daughters about the Man who carried the Burden of Black americans through a decade of violence marred Progress. Quot they know who he is. I be talked to them about him Quot said the civilian training coordinator in Furth Robinson said he knew Little of racial prejudice while growing up in the suburbs of Warren Ohio so he had difficulty relating to King s efforts. Quot after his death i came into the army Quot he said. Quot that s when i really found out what it was All  during Basic training in 1968, he saw a sign in a South Carolina Barber shop telling Blacks to use the rear Entrance. He Quot it was like what s going on said. But Robinson said his Basic belief that people should judge you for what you do and the kind of person you Are a a concise retelling of the philosophy espoused by King a succeeded for him during nearly 25 years in uniform. As a platoon sergeant he became the godfather of a baby born to a Soldier from Louisiana who had been taught by her parents that Blacks Are Lazy and. Unworthy. Her parents later thanked him for his efforts with their daughter. Quot when they get to know you and see How you Are they say wow he s like everybody else Quot Robinson said that was True in Vietnam he said where everyone Quot was thirsty together sick together scared together Quot with no thought of a companion s skin color. But Robinson s optimism is not Universal. One 22-year-Otd Soldier in Furth is boldly pessimistic about the relations Between races 25 years after King s death. Quot i pretty much Learned about him through books Quot said pvt. 1st class Wendell Crawford Quot what he died for nothing has changed Quot Crawford added. Quot one Man can t change anything. People have to change within themselves Quot speaking out Progress being made much More to be done for Cynthia Packard of Mannheim \. Germany the work of Martin Luther King or. Is As relevant today As it was when he galvanized the nation three decades ago. A How can i put it in words How important it is to me a mused the 27-year-old hispanic Mother of two. A the let us have a Pride in ourselves a Confidence in ourselves knowing that we weren t below anybody that we could be Packard ourselves Quot said Packard whose husband has native american ancestry. Quot my parents have always taught me to have a Pride in my heritage but its kind of hard when you go to a High school and the other people Don t want you to have a Pride in yourself. You can look up to Marlin Luther King and All the other minorities that help us out just living our  Quot my children know who they Are and i can Tell them their heritage without having to worry about children making fun of them now because of him we can have Pride in ourselves and our children can say my ancestors came from Mexico or my ancestors were american Indian Quot Gwen Davis a civilian in Naples Italy said the movement led by King has accomplished much. A what makes 1993 so different from the 1960 s is that although a lot of discrimination is still going on its no longer so bad or so blatant. That s what the whole civil rights movement Harris is about this Holiday she said is Quot a time of reflecting for me when we look Back and see How far we have come. And its a time of realizing How far we still have to go As a a  Petty officer 1st class Kathleen Harris a data processor for the information systems department in Naples agrees. Quot i look at american history and see a positive change for All  to today s society with so much violence it s Nice to reflect that there is a Way to solve our problems without violence. He showed us that it could work not just with racial problems but with other problems like one religion against another or with the ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia. His Success shows that we can work our problems out in a peaceful  King s work was based on his religious training and that is How airman Purley Larry Purley from Raf Lakenheath England evaluates his lasting Impact. A this work is very vital especially when he put the lord in a lot of what he did Quot Puney said. Purley also said that King s teachings provide strength and understanding in today s world and a Are very close to my  monday january 18,1993 the stars and stripes