(BPRW) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most important and prolific leaders of the Civil Rights movement. He is remembered for his message of peace and nonviolence and devoted his life to making sure that all people had equal rights.
Dr. King’s message was relayed and accepted worldwide. On August 23, 1963, a crowd of more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. and marched to the Capital Building to support the passing of laws that guaranteed every American equal civil rights. Dr. King was at the front of the “March on Washington” and delivered a remarkable speech that was later entitled “I Have a Dream,” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that day. The March was one of the largest gatherings of black and white people that the nation’s capital had ever seen and no violence occurred. The “I Have a Dream” speech remains one of the most important speeches in American history.
Dr. King and thousands of others knew that they had not struggled in vain because one year later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. Although it was not the first law of civil rights for Americans, it was the most thorough and effective. The Act guaranteed equal rights in housing, public facilities, voting and public schools. In that same year, Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize for leading non-violent demonstrations.
Although Dr. King died more than thirty years ago, his legacy remains alive and strong today. Many groups and individuals continue to work for changes that Dr. King so diligently fought for. Dr. King left the legacy of a lifetime and we look forward to honoring that legacy on the third Monday of January as we celebrate the life and work of a born leader, hero and champion. Without a doubt, his legacy lives on and on and on!
