Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Fifty-four years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated (April 4, 1968) while standing on the balcony of his two-story hotel room. He was in Memphis, Tennesse to support a sanitation workers’ strike when he was shot and killed by James Earl Ray.

The news of this tragedy radiated throughout America. Martin Luther King Jr. was an idol of the African American community and their allies. He fought for equality for all and accomplished his feats through a nonviolent way of protesting.

Some of King’s most notable achievements are:

• He oversaw the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which took place due to Rosa Parks being arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, violating the city’s segregation laws.
• He led the Birmingham Campaign in Alabama. The campaign was created by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to showcase the city’s segregation laws to public facilities. This campaign was made famous due to the unfortunate decision made by a police officer named Eugene “Bull” Connor, who used high-pressure water jets and police dogs on children participating in the protest.
• He was a part of a group effort to organize the Great March on Washington. Over 200,000 participants marched in Washington D.C. to advocate for civil and economic rights for African Americans. This is where his famous speech called “I Have A Dream” took place – one of the most famous speeches made on US soil.
• He was also named as Time magazine’s Man of The Year in 1963. This was not only an honor for himself, but a great tribute to the civil rights movement.
• And he also became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts for creating nonviolent ways of protesting.

Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. became a symbolic leader of African Americans, and to the rest of the world nowadays. We praise him for his efforts on creating a better world for future generations.