The third Monday of January each year is a Federal Holiday in the United States to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr and is also referred to as MLK Day. This year it was the 17th of January ( though Martin Luther King Jr was born on the 15th of January 1929). The campaign for a Federal Holiday had intensified after the death of Martin Luther King Jr in 1968 and eventually President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into Law in 1983 and eventually it was adopted by all 50 states in America in 2000.
Martin Luther King Jr ( MLK) is widely considered to be one of the tallest African American leaders who lead a decisive movement for racial equality and human rights in America in the 50s and 60s. His movement was based on reason and non violence which lead to a strong and collective voice of the Afro Americans.
The famous March on Washington in 1963 led by MLK will go down in history as one of the defining moments of MLK’s fight for civil and economic rights for the Afro American black community and the end of racism, and it has to be said that this is where the great Martin Luther King Jr earned his place in History.The March was held in Washington DC on the 28th of August 1963 to commemorate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation 100 years ago by President Abraham Lincoln freeing all men and women from slavery.
The massive March was one of the largest gatherings ever seen in America with more than two hundred and fifty thousand people coming out in support of the March. Its here that MLK made his most famous speech ‘ I Have a Dream ‘. The speech is not only a hallmark of MLK’s vision but a reflection of his ideals which he so passionately imbibed and practised. ‘ I Have a Dream ‘ was a fervent call for equality, empathy and justice and is considered as one of the finest speeches ever made in America.
‘ I Have a Dream’ is so powerful and insipiring that it resonates with your soul and pumps up adrenaline. Once during a business review , instead of discussing numbers which we normally did , I played out ‘ I Have a Dream ‘ for my team to motivate and inspire them to dream, pursue and achieve.
The March of 1963 led the Kennedy Govt to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The March and ‘ I Have a Dream’ acted as catalysts for these landmark Acts. A year later in 1964 Martin Luther King Jr at the age of 35 became the youngest to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Martin Luther King Jr, a great leader, visionary and a champion of civil rights died young at the age of 39, leaving behind an indelible mark on history and a legacy to be proud off.