I have made no secret of my pride in representing Newcastle, the area in which I was born and grew up, but there is one day in Newcastle’s history that is a particular source of pride for me. On 13 November 1967, Newcastle University awarded Dr Martin Luther King an honorary degree.

It is not by accident that Newcastle was the only university outside the US to honour King in his lifetime. From the trade union movement, to the cooperative movement and the fair trade movement, Newcastle has a long and active history in the struggle for social justice.

When accepting the award, King broke with university tradition and gave an acceptance speech – what was to be his final public speech outside of the US. King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech is known around the world, but few people are aware of the powerful speech he gave that day in Newcastle.

King held the audience spellbound as he spoke of his struggle for racial justice and the ‘three urgent and indeed great problems that we face not only in the United States of America but all over the world today. That is the problem of racism, the problem of poverty and the problem of war.’

King was right – our world will never rise to its full moral, political or even social maturity until racism, poverty and war are eradicated. The struggle for humanity is a continual, daily battle to defend and enlarge the territory of justice. We must be passionate and unrelenting in that struggle whether it is in the United Kingdom, the US, or anywhere else in the world. And we must inspire others to join us. It is by celebrating the real life stories of people like King that we can inspire others.

King’s work had huge impacts – not just upon the legal and political rights of black people, but his life is an inspiration for individuals – including me.

My earliest memory of him is of reading the ‘I have a dream’ speech for the first time. I remember exactly where I was at the time – Boots in Eldon Square, Newcastle.

I was caught by a poster of a woman with a huge afro and doves in her hair. I remember wondering whether that look would work for me. Then the words caught me even more powerfully.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I was about nine or ten at the time. I was really moved, struck by the power of the words. Of course, I identified with Dr King’s little children and hoped his words would come true not only for them, but for me.

When I grew up there was a great deal of ignorance and with it a great deal of racism. That was a time when the only other black people on TV seemed to be singers or dancers or African despots.

Only King could help give me the inspiration to dream I could one day be the member of parliament for my hometown.

When the three great problems of racism, war and poverty are still all too real for millions of people, we all have a responsibility to take forward King’s legacy, which is why I called a debate in parliament on the commemoration of his visit.

Newcastle and Gateshead will mark the upcoming 50 year anniversary of the ceremony with Freedom City 2017.

It takes its inspiration from King and the themes of the speech he made. With initial funding from the American Embassy and more recently a significant grant from the Arts Council of England, we are putting in place three-year cultural programme of international artistic and political significance. World-renowned artists, local communities and civic, business and faith leaders will come together to respond to King’s iconic speech and legacy.

I know that MPs and Labour activists will stand alongside the people of Newcastle and continue to champion those men and women – for women’s voices are too often overlooked – struggling against inequality across the world – and also in this country. I hope some will join me at one of the dozens of Freedom City events.

And also work to celebrate the hidden histories of black achievement in cities and towns across the country.

Because the battle against injustice is no means over.

I want every child in Newcastle and beyond not only to know that Martin Luther King came to Newcastle, but to know that he came for them, to speak to them. That those three themes, poverty, racism, war not only speak to them, but are to be answered by them, by every child – and every adult. To know that everyone, of every generation has a role to play in addressing those great challenges. That just as Martin Luther King saw the struggles around the world as part of the struggle for civil rights in America, that there should be no limitations to our horizons.

Certainly as an MP I believe it is my job to work to achieve that. It should be the work of everyone in the Labour party to achieve that. When we can say that has happened, then I believe King’s legacy in Newcastle will have been fulfilled.

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Chi Onwurah is member of parliament for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central. She tweets @ChiOnwurah

You can read Chi’s speech in parliament on Martin Luther King’s visit to Newcastle here

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