3 minute read
CelebratingMLK Jr
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
an Icon with a Profoundly Impactful Message
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By Julia Romano
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2022 will be observed on Monday, January 17th, a special day that marks an annual federal United States holiday, with its government o ces and most businesses closed.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day into law, and three years later, it was rst celebrated. By the year 2000, all fty states o cially observed the day.
Martin Luther King, Jr., son of Michael King, Sr. and Alberta Christine was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th, 1929. As a highly e ective social activist, he was the leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and made a huge impact on its progress until his death on April 4th, 1968.
Dr. King is especially remembered for his nonviolent protests against segregation and his “I have a Dream” speech. is quintessential speech was important in a number of ways as it brought even greater attention to the civil rights movement, which had been going on for many years. Following this speech, the name Martin Luther King was a household name throughout the nation. e speech was instrumental in Congress moving faster passing the Civil Rights Act. In 1955, King became one of the prominent leaders for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For 381 days, King and his followers boycotted the bus system that allowed segregation on public buses.
Dr. King’s primary goals were to abolish racial discrimination in many areas including public transportation, employment, and with voting rights. Dr. King also opened doors to education and employment that had long been closed to Black America. His speeches are renowned and some of the most iconic of the 20th century, having a profound e ect on the national awareness of racism and the civil rights movement.
In regards to his education, as a result of being such a gifted student, King was able to bypass grades nine and twelve, prior to enrolling in 1944 at Morehouse College, the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather. Although he was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist ministers, it was not King’s intention to follow the family profession until Morehouse President Benjamin E. Mays, a noted theologian, convinced him to change his mind. King was ordained before graduating college with a degree in sociology. After earning a divinity degree from Pennsylvania’s Crozer eological Seminary, King attended graduate school at Boston University, where he received his Ph.D. degree in 1955. e title of his dissertation was “A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the inking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman.”
Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was not his rst at the Lincoln Memorial. Six years before his iconic oration at the March on Washington, King was among the civil rights leaders who spoke in the shadow of the Great Emancipator during the Prayer Pilgrimage for
“ e time is always right to do what is right.”
Freedom on May 17, 1957. Before a crowd estimated at between 15,000 and 30,000, King delivered his rst national address on the topic of voting rights. His speech, in which he urged America to “give us the ballot,” drew strong reviews and positioned him at the forefront of the civil rights leadership.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a phenomenal leader and possessed outstanding traits including intelligence, self-con dence, and determination. He also won a Nobel Peace Prize for his e orts to ght racial inequality in a non-violent manner.
As a promoter and organizer of nonviolent protests, Dr. King made an e ort to have people on his side as he fought. He appealed to the masses of the public with his message, one that was so e ective, his speeches are quoted to this day. He used the law, the courts, and people to peacefully march towards equality.
An inspirational person of character, Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream to change the world, and he transcended racial barriers to improve American society in a profound way. One of the greatest qualities he possessed was extreme patience, an invaluable virtue which helped him spread his remarkably meaningful message across America.
