Martin Luther King Jr. Day

by Brian Thelamy, Saad Khaniya, Christian Orellena

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day to honor the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. You may have heard his name before, as he was one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1900s. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the son of a Baptist minister. He completed his education by earning three different degrees from Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University, eventually earning a Ph.D. in systematic theology.

After completing his education, he became a pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. During his time in Alabama, he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which resulted in the abolishment of segregated seating on buses after it was declared unconstitutional. He also helped organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a well-known group created to harness the moral authority and organizing power of Black churches to conduct nonviolent protests in the service of civil rights.

After these great accomplishments, Dr. King delivered his most famous speech, the “I Have a Dream” speech, which was presented at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In this speech, he shared his vision of a world with racial equality, calling for an end to racism and for a society where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by their character. This speech was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and helped lead to the Civil Rights Act, which was passed by Congress in 1964 and ended legal racial segregation in the United States.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s actions are recognized across the entire United States, which is why the third Monday of each January is dedicated to honoring his legacy.