Today marks the legacy of a great and inspirational man. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal leader in the civil rights movement, political activist, Baptist minister, and he is remembered for his remarkable and influential ”I Have a Dream” speech. In 1964, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end racial segregation and discrimination. He was a proponent of nonviolent actions in order to promote peace instead of retaliating in violent manners like most of the people who were against him and his movement.
In 1955, King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted a little over a year. The boycott became very violent and even resulted in King’s housed being bombed by opposers of the movement. King was eventually arrested during this campaign, but the District Court ruled to end racial segregation on Montgomery public buses. Later in 1957, King and other supporters established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The group was founded as a controlling body that organizes black churches to promote and conduct non-violent protests in support of the civil rights movement.
On August 28, 1963, King organized the March on Washington. The march initially was focused on jobs and working conditions of black Americans in the South. But as it went on, the march demanded an end to racial segregation in public schools, valuable and significant civil rights legislation, and protection of civil rights workers from police brutality were among a few of the demands. King’s March on Washington and his pivotal “I Have a Dream” speech put civil rights at the top of the political agenda and eventually led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1977, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Jimmy Carter. In 1986, Martin Luther King Day was established as a United States holiday. Ever since MLK Day was established as a holiday, people all over the world celebrate his legacy and continue to be thankful for all of the work he has done. Without his work during the civil rights movement, many of us would not be able to live normal lives or have the opportunity to pursue our dreams. Dr. King gave us freedom and unity in a once divided nation and we continue to thank him for all he has done for us.
Here’s the video of the famous “I Have a Dream” Speech given by Dr. King on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.
