The third Monday in January was officially made a federal holiday to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after President Ronald Reagan signed a bill on November 2, 1983.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was one of the most prominent civil rights movement leaders from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.
From a very young age, he was a victim of racial prejudice and was determined to bring about change, equality, and justice for Americans of all colors by a peaceful means.
He was a brilliant student as he skipped two grades and entered college at the young age of 15.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by his father – respected Atlanta pastor Michael King Sr. – who once took a religious journey around the world, including a trip to Germany which occurred only one year after Adolf Hitler came into power.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. survived his first assassination attempt which occurred at a book signing event where a young woman approached him and stabbed him with a seven-inch letter opener into his chest, narrowly missing his heart, and requiring several emergency surgeries.
He issued a statement re-affirming his beliefs – making it known that an attack on his life would not change his beliefs – and he forgave his attacker.
On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington in front of a crowd of about 200,000+ people, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
In his speech, he talks about a future where “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners” could “sit down together at the table of brotherhood” and a future where people especially children are not judged “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
(Click here to read the transcript of the entire speech)
Let Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. be an inspiration to all of us.
As we sit here in the middle of January 2024, let’s set goals with one of those goals being related to the betterment of society – how can you make the world a better place?
Do not waste this year. Rather, make this year a powerful, productive year, a foundation for many more years to come.
What do you want to achieve? How does that tie into your big picture?
Dream big, work hard, and achieve!
