Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

“I have a dream!” People often associate this quote with the famous Martin Luther King Jr., the man who spoke out against racism and advocated for civil rights. He is honored every year on the third Monday in January to commemorate his legacy and the fight for African American equality.

It all began with the first federal observance on January 20, 1986. After the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and other events crucial to the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. decided to speak up for what was right. He opposed the privileges held by white Americans, segregation, and the Jim Crow South. During his famous speech he said, “I have a dream, envisioning a future where people are judged by character, not skin color, and where justice prevails in the South, culminating in a call for freedom to ring across America from every mountainside, ending with the spiritual ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’” After this speech he continued to lead civil rights efforts nonviolently, advocating for economic justice, equal rights for all, and even opposing the Vietnam War.

Because of his powerful speech and his many other contributions to equality, many people are inspired to follow his example in hopes of changing the world. He influenced public figures such as Barack Obama, Stacey Abrams, and Bryan Stevenson. Even today, teachers create lessons about his actions to help students remember that he was a true hero for equality. Knowing all that Dr. King did for our country, honor him on the next MLK Day and carry his peaceful principles throughout your life.