He had a dream.
“I have a dream that 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.”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963, Washington, DC
He had a dream.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
It is always celebrated on the third Monday in January, close to his birthday, January 15th. It’s been 68 years since his death on April 4th, 1968.
We set aside today to honor him. Here are some reminders of what his life was about:
Nobel Peace Prize
On October 14th, 1964, at 35 years old, he was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. He spoke words of love and acceptance through nonviolent, peaceful protests for social change in a divided country.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
He led the Montgomery Bus boycott after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. The protest against the segregated buses started on December 5th, 1955, and lasted an incredible 385 days. King was subjected to constant threats, his home was bombed, and he served jail time. Finally, the Supreme Court ruled on Dec 20th, 1956, that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
“I have a dream.”
His iconic speech changed the course of history. There were 25,000 people standing in front of him at the Lincoln Monument in Washington, DC. He started his speech with a prepared message. Around the seventh paragraph, King paused. Then, a dear friend and gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, urged him, “Tell them about the dream.”
King pushed his speech aside and spoke from his heart, leaving us with an electrifying speech that is thought to be the best of the 20th century.
King delivered the speech after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. One hundred fifty Congressmen and Senators met with the March leaders and walked with them to attend King’s speech. At the conclusion, they met with President Kennedy at the White House to discuss civil rights legislation. He inspired a movement for equality that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places and discrimination for employment. It also contributed to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination in voting.
We Cannot Walk Alone
After Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, declared that “we expect the passage of an effective bill. … If those who support the bill will fight, as hard and as skillfully for it as the Southern opposition fights against it, victory will be ours.”
Regarding this, Rev. King urged the energized Black community to avoid blanket distrust of whites, noting that many white allies recognized our shared fate. … “We cannot walk alone.”
We can never underestimate the meaning of our words and how they can build up, support, and help one another or change the course of history. Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his steadfastness, faith, and courage to spread the message of love, understanding, and peace.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:14
When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 1 Corinthians 14:26.
A couple of years ago, a friend shared she listens to his speech each year on this day. Please take a moment to hear it and know that we have a great cloud of witness we can contribute to.
Blessings to you all.
I’ve included it here for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s
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A gppd reminder of the past, a history lesson
Thank you Maria for stopping in. We could learn so much from our history. Blessings to you.