On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., TIME magazine talked with the four surviving aides who were with him that fateful day.

Why Tuesday? Board Member Andrew Young was one of those aides.

He says King’s influence and the movement he started continues to be felt.

“It inspired success in a broad range of men and women of goodwill in the world. It inspired success, I’m sure in South Africa, but…also…when the Polish freedom fighters were standing up against communism, they followed our non-violent traditions. When the Berlin Wall came down, they were singing ‘We Shall Overcome.’ The same thing was true in Tiananmen Square, so there was a global movement. In fact, it was global before we got in it because all of us learned it from Gandhi.”

He said King would be surprised at the progress that has been made over time, although there is much more to do.

“Freedom is a struggle and we do it together. Not only together as black citizens, but black and white together,” says Young. “Martin Luther King talked about a Coalition of Conscience, or a Coalition of Goodwill — people of goodwill who want to change the world for the better. I think you see evidence of that.”

For the complete article, click here. Ambassador Young will appear Sunday morning on Meet the Press, alongside Tom Brokaw, to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.

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