King’s Dream Lives On

He worked tirelessly for racial equality. He inspired others to take a stand. And he spread a message of peace and justice. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leading voice of the civil rights movement, the long struggle to gain equal rights for Black Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. 

King grew up at a time when forced segregation was a way of life throughout the South. Black children had to attend run-down schools, and their families were refused service at whites-only restaurants. Many states also had racist laws to prevent Black people from voting in elections. King dedicated his life to changing those unjust laws.

Sadly, King was killed in 1968, but his message lives on. On January 18, people across the country will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are three things you may not know about one of America’s most inspiring leaders.

King thought the best way to bring about change was through a nonviolent type of protest called civil disobedience. That included holding peaceful marches and taking part in sit-ins at restaurants and other places that wouldn’t serve Black people. Part of this strategy of standing up for equal rights included accepting the consequences. For King, that meant being arrested nearly 30 times. 

One arrest happened in April 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. King and other civil rights leaders had organized a series of peaceful protests in the city. Those actions landed King in jail for eight days. While behind bars, he wrote an essay that explained why he was willing to be jailed for his beliefs.

“One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws,” he wrote.

King’s powerful words and actions led to important strides toward achieving equal rights for all Americans. More than 50 years after his death, King continues to inspire peaceful protesters around the world who want to end racial injustice. That includes his only grandchild, 12-year-old Yolanda Renee King (right). 

On August 28 last year, she was one of thousands of people who took part in a march in Washington, D.C. Standing in the same spot where her grandfather gave his famous speech 57 years earlier, Yolanda promised that she and other kids would continue his work. 

“We are the great gems of our grandparents, great-grandparents, and all our ancestors,” she told the crowd. “We stand and march for love, and we will fulfill my grandfather’s dream.”