Martin Luther King’s Day ”I Have a Dream”.MLK
Today is celebrated
internationally as king’s day.The first Martin Luther birthday was celebrated on January 20, 1986
originally signed into federal law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.Martin
Luther King Jr. originally MichealLuther king Jr (1929-1968) was named after
his father Michael king hence why he was Martin Luther King Jr. Michael King Sr. changed his name in homage to historic German
theologian Martin Luther after a trip to Germany in 1931 Michael King Jr. King
Sr. made the decision to change his son’s name to Martin Luther as well. King
Jr followed his linage of ministers from his grandfather. Not only was a Baptist minister, he was
philanthropist, non violent protest activist governed by his belief for justice
and equality. He was a preacher, a scholar, and a revolutionist.He had his Ph.D. degree in 1955. He was the
youngest male in his time to win Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35 in 1964.He also won a Grammy in 1971 for best spoken word album for “why I
oppose the war in Vietnam” and was awarded a congressional gold medal and a
medal of freedom. King was among
the civil rights leaders who spoke in the shadow of the Great Emancipator
during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom on May 17, 1957. King’s first national
speech addressing voting rights was delivered before a crowd estimated between
15,000 and 30,000.This speech drew strong reviews and positioned him at the
forefront of the civil rights leadership.
He was a husband, a father, a friend, a leader and a brilliant orator. He played
a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his
assassination in 1968.According to the King Center, the civil rights leader
went to jail nearly 30 times. His achievements were great and he carried a
greater burden of leadership than most people would dare dream to. Despite just
being 39 at the time of his death, his autopsy revealed that stress had
consumed a great part of him. He had the heart of a 60 year old commented one
of the doctors.
WHY IS MLK CELEBRATED
We celebrate the life and legacy of a
man who added a captivating, inspiring piece to blackhistory.The King Holiday
honors the life and contributions of America’s greatest champion of racial
justice and equality bringing hope and healing to America
« I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character. »MLK
This holiday
is an opportunity for us to enrich ourselves with the positive values he radiated
and learning from his weaknesses as a leader and most of all as a human being,
converting all these to positive energy needed to continue our various fights
for a better world.
“ The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people
but the silence over that by the good people. »MLK
We commemorate the values of courage, truth,
justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined
Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. He taught love, forgiveness
and unity by example.
« We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of
the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the
worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less
prone to hate our enemies. »MLK
This day
honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and
even bombings to achieve freedomhe dreamt of. He paid the ultimate price with
his life and the lives of family and loved ones for his dream to see the light.
« Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through
continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our
freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent. »MLK
It is a day
of world unity characterized by interracial and intercultural cooperation and
sharing bringing together humanity all together under the umbrella of unity
irrespective of one’s race, religion or status in line with the king’s dream of
a better world for all.
« An
individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines
of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. »MKL
The Holiday provides
us with the opportunity to teach ourselvesto fight evil with consistency,
courage and perseverance.
« The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people
but the silence over that by the good people. »MLK
We learn from this great leader and others like Malcolm X that you can always do the right thing. Nothing is too small. Take baby steps whether it is helping others who are less fortunate, or taking a stand against something that is just plain wrong, he reminds us all that it is always time to do what is right.
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”MLK
MLK taught us faith and dreaming beyond our limits. It is only when we dream big that we stare favorable factors to align for us and his legacy inspires us dreams are never too big and that it is possible to achieve our dreams
« Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. »MLK
Even in times of darkness,
violence and ugliness, he believed in and practiced non violence. That’s not to
say that he was never angered or even inflamed by what he faced, but in spite
of those feelings, he rose above all he was confronted with. He lived by the
example.it reminds us that we can be less hateful and more tolerant in our
daily lives
« The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. »MLK
“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.”MLK
While his life was cut tragically short, he died in pursuit of his dream and in spite of everything he faced, he never gave up on it. A take home most especially is the fact that one has to be ready to die for his dream and no one can live your dream for you. It’s yours. Make it a reality.While engaging people to join your vision never forget that it’s “your dream». Stick to it, commit to it with passion and persistence.
"I have a dream..."MLK
Martin Luther king Jr taught us brotherhood; the force of common vision.Martin Luther King, Jr was part of the investigation when young Claudette Colvin defied Jim Crow laws and kept her seat on the bus. He led The Montgomery Bus Boycott, which lasted for over a year when Rosa Parks was arrested for also refusing to move. King endangered himself and household and was arrested. But because of that campaign the United States District Court ruled to end racial segregation on Montgomery, AL buses. We should therefore copy this example of brotherhood to push ourselves to greater achievement.
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”MLK
We
commemorate the inspiring orator because his voice and his vision set a pace
for collective longing to become a world, a continent that truly lives by its
noblest principles. He talked the talk, walked the walk for his words to be
credible.
So it is
important we embody this icon in our lives pledging to serve humanity.We all can bring the change we hope for in our little and humble ways.
“I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life…to love and serve
humanity” MLK
Please share
with us your favorite MLK quotes and or lessons learned from him.LOVE
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