This holiday is notable not just for being a day off from work or school, but for the person who fought for freedom from an unjust society at the time. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January each year honoring the man who played a pivotal role in the American civil rights movement.
In 1963 he delivered a speech that would be known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most famous speeches of all time. His dream was a call for equality and addressed the unjust treatment of colored people. King also advocated for nonviolent methods of protests and organized an abundance of marches and boycotts to spread the word. Sadly, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Even after the heartbreaking loss, MLK still had a huge impact on equality and was celebrated as a civil rights icon. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 as well as the Congressional Gold Medal in 2003. In 1983 Congress made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. So when you have free time this Monday maybe look back on the sacrifices Martin Luther King Jr. made and how he inspired change towards people in today’s communities.
