Every year, on the 3rd Monday of January we celebrate the life and legacy of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta Georgia, Dr. King was a smart boy. He attended segregated public schools in the city of Atlanta and graduated high school at the age of 15. He then attended Morehouse College where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1949. He went on to study theology and later received his Doctorate Degree from Boston University in 1955. While in Boston, he met and married his wife Coretta Scott King and welcomed 4 children together. (Martin 3rd, Yolanda, Bernice, Dexter)
Martin Luther King Jr. has since been one of the most influential and recognizable faces of the civil rights movement. Unlike other leaders of the movement, he stood firm in his nonviolent approach and often organized protests, rallies, and marches to help fight the racial injustices of men and women of color. Dr. King was heavily involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which started when Rosa Parks, a black woman refused to give up her seat to a white rider. Parks was subsequently arrested and thrown in jail for this offense which sparked the boycott and calls for buses to become segregated.
In 1964, Dr. King became the youngest person to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35 for his nonviolent campaign against racism. The following year, we led the Selma to Montgomery March. This was one of a series of marches and protests in Selma to fight against a city whose citizens of colored endured horrible acts of racism and segregation. The Selma march was on to combat voter registration issues for people of color.
Dr. King may be most known for his famous “I Have A Dream” speech that he delivered during the March On Washington in August of 1963. Listen below!