As we enjoy the extra day of our weekend, it is important that each person takes some time to reflect on the significance of Monday’s holiday and the depth of the impact Martin Luther King Jr. made on each of our lives. King helped change the face of this country and his life’s work affected people of all races, religions and creeds.
King was a figurehead for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and spent much of his life leading protests and political campaigns throughout the country. He advocated a nonviolent means of protest and instead used language and education as a means to end racial segregation.
An influential figure in Washington, D.C., King’s work to end racial segregation won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and addresses like the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial Building, established him as one of the greatest orators in American history. Through constant struggle King remained steadfast in his mission to end racial prejudice in this country.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39 in Memphis, Tenn., where he was scheduled to lead a protest for city workers. Since his death, King has been given several presidential and congressional recognitions. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was made a national holiday in 1986 and it is now observed throughout the country.
When we reflect on King’s life and revel in his great achievements, we are given a glimpse of the great progress our nation has made over the past few generations. At the same time we are also humbled before the scale of prejudice and injustice that still exist around us today. This holiday gives individuals time to consider what they can do to end the hypocrisy and the degradation that racism still contributes to our society.
The freedoms of this nation make it one of the greatest places to live in today’s world. King spent his life advocating those liberties and calling for the betterment of our country. If he had not helped to alter the American mindset, our nation would be a darker and uglier place to live.
It is essential that, if you do nothing else this holiday, you at least take some time to consider King’s legacy and appreciate his ambition to live in a world without social injustice.
