Song of the day:
Fifty-four years ago today a gunman took the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest civil rights leaders in history. It was an evil and cowardly act that served to ignite the movement rather than end it. I was two months old so of course I don’t remember when it happened, but I know that it happened in my lifetime.
We see so many black and white photos of Martin Luther King, Jr. that we sometimes forget that it wasn’t that long ago that he was marching and preaching and doing everything in his power to fight for civil and equal rights. It’s not hard to see, however, that there is still a long, long way to go. In fact, in many ways we have taken several steps backward as a society in the last few years. There is still an abundance of hate in our world for Black men and women, as well as other people of color, something I truly can’t comprehend. And a lot of those spewing the hate claim to be Christians. They are clearly reading a different Bible than I am because last time I checked, Jesus told us to love our neighbor. And there was no additional criteria provided.
I hope you can take some time today to learn something new about Martin Luther King, Jr. Did you know, for example, that King was born Michael King Jr.? In 1934, however, his father traveled to Germany and became inspired by the Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. As a result, King Sr. changed his own name as well as that of his five-year-old son. Or that he is one of only four Americans to have their birthday observed as a national holiday (the other three are Washington, Lincoln and Chavez)? (Source: History.com)
Here are a few things you may not know about his famous “I have a dream” speech.
It’s not hard to find information online, and it won’t take you much time. Although fair warning, once you start digging it’s easy to get sucked in and want to learn everything.
A great place to start is The King Center. They have an abundance of information online, but if you have the chance to visit in person, whether that be today or sometime in the future, I encourage you to do so. It’s been years since I visited and I’d like to find the time to go again.