25th Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr.

Twenty-five years ago the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. were recognized in the law of the land. King was born January 15, 1929. He was murdered by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. King is now an iconic figure in American history. His efforts resulted in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and all around the world. King borrowed from India’s Mahatma Gandhi’s use of nonviolent methods to affect social and legal change.

King at the Lincoln Memorial

First and foremost, King was a Christian. Serving as a Baptist minister, King eventually became a civil rights activist. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and served as its first president. King led the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his now immortal, "I Have a Dream" speech. King offered a stirring vision of a color blind society in America. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time of his death in 1968, King was an outspoken critic of Lyndon Johnson and called for end of the Vietnam War. Watch a video of King's immortal "I Have a Dream" speech here:

25th Martin Luther King Jr. Day