Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr Day. Martin Luther King Jr, did a lot of living in his 39 years.
The third Monday of January is celebrated in the United States and Canada as Martin Luther King Jr. Day which is around the time of MLK's birthday, January 15th. It is a US federal holiday marking the birthday of the American civil rights leader. Although he has been memorialized since his death in 1968, many believe it's never too late for education around the events surrounding his assassination and the man himself.
Today is the day to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today is best known as a day of remembrance for all those who have died in the civil rights movement.
We are blessed to live in an era where our president and prime minister are elected democratically in North America, women can earn equal pay, although we're not quite there yet, and Jim Crow Laws are abolished.
This day not only reminds us of our past, but also should serve as a marker for how right makes might.
“Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the great moral voices of our time, whose memory will be revered by succeeding generations.” said President Obama in 2008
In addition, January is National Mentoring Month. I wanted to find a way to tie both events together, but my mind wasn’t cooperating and the experience was very frustrating for me because I couldn’t come up with a blog post that was innovative or witty.
Before throwing in the towel and abandon writing a blog post for the day, I decided to keep it simple and view this great man as the invisible mentor he is to us.
“An invisible mentor is a leader you can learn from by observing him or her from a distance. Martin Luther King is an invisible mentor. Let us learn from his life by reading biographies about him. As well as viewing any videos.”
Martin Luther King Jr: I have a Dream and More
In the early 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was a leading civil rights activist. We will never forget his name, his deeds and his legacy. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, worked for school desegregation in Alabama, and became a spokesperson for nonviolent protest that resonated with many people across the country.
Dr. King is among the most respected freedom fighters in history because he led millions of Americans on a thematic quest for freedom, justice, and equality-protests that echoed fundamental principles upon which American institutions are supposedly founded.
Martin Luther King Jr. became a symbol of the American Civil Rights Movement through his life and death. During a time when many were debating the right of cultures to govern themselves without fear or violence from their rulers, he became an international icon of non-violence. To many people, who have heard or read anything about him, he epitomizes the definition of the word “leader.”
On August 28, 1963, King delivered a historic speech on the National Mall in Washington where he spoke of his “dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” His words helped galvanize support for the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize but significant racial inequality remained.
In a testament to King’s beliefs about nonviolence, It’s been said that he was reading Gandhi’s biography at the time of his assassination.
Have you read?
Mini Biography of Martin Luther King Jr, Human Rights Activist
I Have a Dream – Thinking Without Borders
Martin Luther King Jr Inspiring Quotes
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”
This quote tells me that things do not have to be perfect for me to take action.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
This quote tells me that all of us have to develop cultural sensitivity. So that we can respect and live with others who are different from us.
“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…This is the inter-related structure of reality.”
There is a lot of violence in the world today. And it is not a “their” problem, but an “our” problem. That’s one of the reasons why I am hosting the MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World.
The most accomplished people use books as problem solving tools. They carve out the time in their schedule to find solutions in the pages of a book. Let me help you to solve your own problems. Additionally, this program helps you to learn valuable career skills. Click the link MoreReads Individual Leadership Development Program to buy.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
I love this quote because of the reasons I gave above.
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Isn’t that the truth?
“Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”
This is a great message. This to me means to do the right thing, and you have to determine what the right thing is for you.
“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.”
You have to rock the boat sometimes.
“Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity.”
Martin Luther King Jr looked up to Gandhi and learned non-violent resistance from him.
“Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.”
I like this quote because of many of the reasons given above.
“Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”
Whatever your vocation, to remain relevant, you have to continually boost your career skills.
“Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”
Need I say more!
Martin Luther King Jr: I Have a Dream Speech
What's Next?
I defined an invisible mentor for you at the beginning of this post. The Martin Luther King Jr quotes and the articles about him will give you insights into who he was.
- Review Mini Biography of Martin Luther King Jr, Human Rights Activist
- Watch “I Have a Dream.
- Buy MoreReads Success Blueprint
