The Celebration of MLK
On Monday, Jan. 15, schools, government offices and banks will be closed to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. You may know the name but many don’t know his contributions to the world we live in today.
King was a strong man who had even stronger beliefs. He wanted to put an end to segregation. In his lifetime he never got to see the end of it, however he did have a major influence on the movement.
He was brought up by his parents in a Baptist Church, both his mother and father were ministers. This really instilled in him the importance of beliefs encouraging his later activism.
He is best known for his “I have a dream speech”. It is one of the most popular and revered speeches in history. He spoke about the world he wished to see. In the words of Dr King,
“I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
He was a dreamer who had very radical beliefs for his time. He wanted a place for all people to gather without division.
Aside from giving one of the most popular addresses, King also won a Nobel Peace Prize. He won the Prestigious Peace Award for his peaceful way of bringing change. Not only was he an activist, he was a preacher who reached people in several different ways. Though he is long dead his ideals live on through history.
MLK worked tirelessly alongside his wife and other activists to bring the change he wanted to see. King himself organized protests to gain voting rights, labor laws and more for African Americans. The March on Washington, organized by him, became a peak in his career.
However, his life was cut short in 1968, when he was shot while standing on a second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis Tennessee. He died before he could see the fruits of his labor, but it will forever be a revered legacy.
He strived for the change wanted to see, he wanted to see the people come together as one, as equals. The mark that he made on the country as a whole has not been forgotten, even well after his death. This is the reason we continue to celebrate him year after year.
1. Dr. King skipped two grades in high school, going to college at the age of 15.
2. Dr. King’s name was not originally Martin. His given birth name was Michael.
3. Dr. King was arrested 29 times for his role in the Civil Rights Movement.
4. A decade before Dr. King’s death, he survived a knife attack to the chest.
5. Dr. King’s gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of 250,000 people.
6. Dr. King was told that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in bed suffering from exhaustion.
7. Dr. King was born in Atlanta in 1929.
8. The only thing Dr. King allowed his children to stay up to watch was the TV series “Star Trek.” He was a big fan.
9. 730 streets in the U.S. are named after Dr. King.
10. Dr. King’s first job was working for a newspaper.
