History of MLK

“We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back . . . And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We all may know who he is but do we really know why we celebrate the day dedicated to him?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an African-American civil rights activist and leader. He believed, “no one should be judged by the color of their skin but instead the content of their character.” Dr. King stood against segregation, he only believed coming to a solution peacefully. Now you may wonder how Dr. King received a holiday dedicated to himself, let me fill you in. After he got assassinated, Congress believed that the only way to properly thank him for everything he’s done would be a national holiday. Sadly when the bill was introduced, not many supported the idea. As Ronald Reagan came into office, he did not think twice about this issue. Congress passed a bill which designated Dr. King’s birthday as a national holiday, celebrated every third Monday of January. People fought for this holiday to continue to remind and continue to influence current and future generations.

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”