On MLK Day, CBS 3 Speaks Exclusively With Son Of Slain Civil Rights Leader
GLASSBORO, N.J., (CBS) -- In South Jersey, there were two Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day events with national significance.
CBS 3's Cleve Bryan begins at Rowan University where he spoke exclusively with the son of the late civil rights leader.
Starting the morning in song, Rowan University marked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a special guest. Martin Luther King III was just 10-years-old when his father was assassinated, but he remembers things about his dad you won't find in history lessons.
"Dad was not a tall guy, but he was a very good athlete. So whether it was baseball or football or basketball he could really jump," King III said.
King III says the messages of his father are timeless: love yourself, your family, your God and your community.
"You know, we didn't realize the dream last year, but we can start anew every January," he said.
Starting a new tradition this January, the Borough of Lawnside in Camden County held an inaugural MLK Day commemoration.
Lawnside has a very unique connection to Dr. King. On the day of his funeral in 1968, their school board signed a resolution creating the country's first official MLK Day.
Morris Smith was President of the Lawnside School Board at that time.
"There needs to be more time with sharing the message, sharing the experience so that the story continues to be passed on," Smith said.
From singing "We Shall Overcome" to learning the origin of the nation's first MLK Day, Lawnside children found out they have a share in history and can continue the dream.