Love Is In the Air”, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “We Shall Overcome”. They sang “I’ll Sing You Back Home Again” as they made their way from the funeral home to Mount Olivet Church. I’ll wait I’ll wait for you I’ll wait for you Then on Monday, a somber-looking Vice President Biden led mourners in a special session of Hallelujah! during the funeral mass for Dr. King. “Let it be our prayer now that God will so strengthen and comfort our family,” he said. “Let it be our prayer now that he’ll so bless us that we will never let this memory turn into despair, but we will use it as the great gift that it can be – a catalyst to change and do better.” At the end of the mass, Biden and the entire Kennedy family helped carry Dr. King’s casket out of the church and stood at the casket for a final prayer before it was carried away by hearse. President Obama will return to Atlanta on Tuesday to participate in the King tribute. That evening, Obama and his wife, Michelle, will be guests of honor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King was eulogized by the Rev. Joseph Lowery during a televised evening prayer meeting. That evening, the Obamas will also lay wreaths at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and participate in a community rally at Hampton Park near the church. On Wednesday, Obama will be on Capitol Hill as House Republicans unveil their budget plan that includes deep cuts to Medicaid, Head Start, Pell Grants and other programs as well as the elimination of more than $20 billion in programs designed to protect the environment and combat climate change. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ]]>A look at MLK’s life in photoshttp://theslot.org/politics/slideshows/a-look-at-mlks-life-in-photos/ Fri, 05 Feb 2016 11:34:24 +0000http://theslot.org/politics/slideshows/a-look-at-mlks-life-in-photos/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never thought he would see what the country has become in his lifetime, said his daughter, Bernice King. But he wanted everyone to see what the country could become, so he embarked on a “Dream.” ]]> Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never thought he would see what the country has become in his lifetime, said his daughter, Bernice King. But he wanted everyone to see what the country could become, so he embarked on a “Dream.” He wanted everyone to see what Dr. King saw. He wanted everyone to see what the black church had seen. He wanted everyone to see what the black community has seen. He wanted everyone to see what the nation has seen. He wanted everyone to see what Dr. King saw. There was also something else he wanted to see: a day when there would be no more of our children being killed by cops. King’s family has posted the slideshow on Facebook, offering up an inside look at the life and legacy of the Civil Rights movement leader. There’s a sense of loss and wonderment, as well as pride and amazement. The photos reflect the struggle and strength it took to get to that point and remind us of the long road ahead to meet the goals of the man who was killed in 1968. The photos, too, also reflect the struggles that continue as his children grew and went out into the world and also show what has become of the world as a result of his sacrifice. And the photos are filled with symbolism. “The ‘Dreams’ represented by the two figures,” they write on Facebook, “represent Dr. King’s dream for all Americans: that there would be freedom, justice, equality, and brotherhood and peace. A society and nation where all our children could grow up to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, judges, and ministers of the Gospel without fear or hate or oppression.” In one photo, a little girl of eight or nine holds up a sign that says “I am not afraid. I am a child of God.” In another, a little boy holds up a sign that says, “Bullies will not stop me. I am a child of God.” In another, the young King is standing on a street corner while Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King are riding on a bus. Young King is holding a sign that says, “Don’t give up. We’ll have a better world.” In another, a black boy with an afro is looking through a bus window and holding a sign that says, “Don’t stop. Keep moving for a better day. We are all connected. We have a dream. We’ll get there.” In another, a young girl is smiling and holding up the words “I am a child of God.” And in one of the last photos, King Jr. is on the bus, in handcuffs. He is no longer smiling. The photos have been shared hundreds of times on Facebook. In a way, they represent the hope of King’s dreams. They are an important reminder that all of these decades later, we still have work to do.