This inspirational man who led the civil rights movement championing the cause to end segregation and fight racial discrimination is the first and only U.S. Citizen to have a national holiday named after him. He was guided by fighting for what was right, not what was popular.
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal” ~MLK, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was instrumental in desegregating buses in Montgomery, Alabama in the mid-1950s. He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and served as its first president in 1957.
We could all learn from him and his admirable actions. It’s not always easy to do what’s right or champion a controversial cause that pushes people out of their comfort zone but that is what helps us grow and live at our highest vibrations which enhances our our well being, even if the road is not always smooth.
Look at all the good that has come from the #MeToo movement. A select few women spoke out which gave an onslaught of women the courage to finally speak out.
This quote rings true with regard to the issue of sexual misconduct in our country. Women are no longer staying silent about this subject that matters so very much.
“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…” Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial in August, 1963, to a group of civil rights supporters at the March on Washington.
It’s shocking to me that his dream that he spoke of in one of the most iconic speeches in history is not yet realized. It’s shocking to me that there are still people who judge others by the color of their skin and not the content of their character. It’s shocking to me that, although it is much better than it was when he made that speech nearly 55 years ago, we still have so much hateful racism is the world.
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“Life’s most persistent question is: What are you doing for others?” ~MLK, Jr.
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by doing something kind. Donate your time, help someone out, say nice things to others, start a conversation about Dr. King’s vision that individuals of diverse backgrounds come together rather than stand divided to discuss injustices and create an action plan. Make someone feel good today.
King was the first black American to receive Time magazine’s Man of the Year honor in 1964, and the youngest to win the Nobel Peace Prize that same year. Upon receiving it, he announced that he would use the prize money to further the civil rights cause.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
He graduated high school at the age of 15, received a B.A. from Morehouse College in 1948 and attended Boston University where he received his Ph.D. in systematic theology in 1955. In 1960, he followed in the family footsteps and became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
It is believed that he said he would not live to 40. Sadly, his premonition was correct. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee in April of 1968 at the age of 39.
A life cut way too short yet left an indelible impression on the world.
“Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last” ~MLK, Jr.
