Today, the people who saw their lives changed in that turbulent time or in its wake say it is their job to keep King’s legacy alive.
“The whole era has taken on less significance than it had,” said Bernard Powers, College of Charleston history professor. “Next month is Black History Month, and he’ll be talked about along with Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass, almost as if they were contemporaries.”
Today, more than 30 volunteers from the community ”” black and white ”” will be helping Ruth Ann Carr of James Island build her home. It’s a service day for Sea Island Habitat for Humanity, honoring the iconic civil rights leader on the holiday dedicated to him.