Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, 2022, would have been Dr. King's 93rd birthday.
Dr. King was an influential leader in the civil rights movement. His work led to the passing of the Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights Act.
According to The King Center, Dr. King was recruited in 1955 as a spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which after a 381 day boycott, led to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in transportation was unconstitutional.
Dr. King was also a leader for the March for Jobs and Freedom, which is where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" Speech.
Dr. King was named Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1963 and became the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
He was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee after nearly 13 years of non-violent leadership in the battle for equality.
We'd also like to recognize Coretta Scott King who was the wife of Dr. King and an accomplished activist and leader. She was the founding president, chair, and CEO of The King Center. According to The King Center she "spearheaded the massive educational and lobbying campaign to establish Dr. King’s birthday as a national holiday."
To honor Martin Luther King Jr., you can research how you can help with the causes he cared about like racial equality, poverty, voter's rights, and international peace.
To read more about the inspirational Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., visit Nobelprize.org and The King Center website.
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