Oftentimes on January 20, many people get a day off from work or school, appreciating the time off. However, people often forget the importance of the day and overshadow it by the delight of an adjournment. This holiday was created because the man who changed America was born. On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was born.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta Georgia and had the name Micheal King at birth, which was changed by his father. He grew up in a comfortable middle class, where his family had followed a tradition of Southern black ministry. King followed this tradition and became an assistant minister while attending Boston University, where he pursued his doctoral studies. King eventually became a minister after he was ordained in February 1948.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who looked up to his father and observed the discriminations his father and himself faced as a result of segregation and racism. Because of this, the King was determined to fight for freedom and liberty. On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people gathered together and marched at Washington, D.C demanding that segregation should end, granting more freedom to all. There, on that very day, Dr. King delivers his famous “I Have Dream” speech calling for freedom of all men of all colors. This speech is so important because it was considered the turning point of the Civil Rights Movement, influencing the public’s desire to shift for racial equality. Sadly, on April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray for the only reason being hatred.

Though Dr. King reached a devastating end to his life, his legacy in the Civil Rights Movement will always be remembered, as his speech resonates in the heart of America to this day, moving America’s heart with non-violent protests that strike harder than any blow against racial inequalities.

Sources:

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/ebenezer-baptist-church-atlanta-georgia

https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/1963-march-washington

https://americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day

Martin Luther King’s Birthday