A gifted minister, orator, and leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered for his dedication to the civil rights movement and commitment to equality for African- Americans in the 1960s. King's message of peaceful, non-violent protest inspired the world. Nine years after leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, in October, 1964.
Juxtaposed against the increasing violence of the Vietnam War, King’s mission of equality through civil disobedience resonated with millions of Americans and people around the globe. He delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington, on August 28th, 1963, to over 200,000 participants. Although King’s life ended with an act of violence -- assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4th, 1968, at the age of 39 -- his work for civil rights remains a beacon of how perseverance and the dream of one man can create change and progress for an entire nation.
Since his death, King and his work continue to be honored. He has been posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977) and the Congressional Gold Medal (2004), and ‘Martin Luther King, Jr. Day’ has become a national holiday. Forty years after his fight for the equality of African-Americans was cut short, another charismatic, gifted orator and leader began inspiring generations; with the election of Barack Obama -- the first African-American President of the United States -- King’s dream moved further toward fulfillment.
RSS
