Dr. Martin Luther King

MLK Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of every January to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15th, 1929, the first year of the Great Depression.

As one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1968, Dr. King helped articulate the racial injustice of discrimination as it had been written into federal and state laws across America. Like Mahatma Gandhi in India and Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Dr. King believed the best way to confront issues of social injustice is through nonviolent activism.

Racism and intolerance of different social behaviors and beliefs sow division in communities, not only here in America, but in nearly every corner of the world. Racism is a social dysfunction that results in war, inequity, and ultimately hunger, poverty, and disease.

To judge a person based on physical characteristics is prejudice. The definition is in the word; it simply means to pre-judge. But the true value of a person is in their character and behavior towards others. All decent people treat others with respect and dignity, and Dr. King knew and taught that well.

Dr. King fought to end racial segregation in the United States. Segregation is the antithesis of freedom, the cornerstone of everything we stand for in America. And for that, he deserves to be honored as one of the greatest visionaries in American history.

In his own words, Dr. King’s wisdom is evident for all those who choose to believe in a greater, more inclusive humanity:

1. “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at  that goal.”
2. “The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.”
3. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
4. “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”
5. “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.”
6. “For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.”
7. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
8. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
9. “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.”
10. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
11. “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
12. “Intelligence and character—that is the goal of true education.”
13. “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
14. “The beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.”
15. “I think I have discovered the highest good. It is love.”
16. “Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
17. “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”