Every year Americans come together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., celebrating his courageous and non-violent fight for equality and civil rights for African Americans. He advocated for racial equality and his efforts helped to end segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States.
Today, many follow in his heroic footsteps and still try to make a difference in the world today that reflect King’s ideas of fighting with nonviolence. Many traditions include educating and inspiring others to continue MLK’s work. Additionally, the importance of Martin Luther King’s famous speech “I Have a Dream” is taught in many schools and how it led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Moreover, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his peaceful contributions at reaching equality and civil rights. The Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington D.C. was dedicated to King in 2011 and the surrounding wall portrays parts from his most famous speeches.
About two decades after Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968, President Ronald Reagan declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday to honor Dr. King and his accomplishments on the third Monday of January. While not accepted at first by many of the states, petitions and campaigns swayed the public and Congressional opinions, and ultimately the day was passed as a national holiday. The first observance of the holiday was recognized on January 20, 1986. Although some states ignored the holiday and refused to acknowledge it, overtime, different traditions and celebrations were developed all around the country to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
Events and parades are common ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. They usually include performances and songs that reflect the significant impacts that King made in his lifetime. Dr. King still inspires many around the world because he gave others the strength and courage to stand up for what they believe in and to have their voices heard. He showed the people how he can support the right thing to do, instead of going with the crowd. King also encouraged others to fight peacefully and use no violence, believing that was the best way to end the cycle of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.’s impactful messages of the fight for equality continues to inspire people everywhere today to strive for a better world.
