Monday, Jan. 20 was a day celebrating the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
King was a civil rights activist who desired equal rights for African Americans starting in 1955 until his assassination in 1968.
King was an American Baptist minister who preached the word of God to give hope to his people in times of hopelessness. His way of speaking was captivating and moved thousands of people who crowded his speeches.
One of the most impactful things that he participated in was being nonviolent and respectful in all the movements in which he participated.
Seeing that those who were against him were violent, he spread a message of love through God to lift people up over taking them down.
One of his most impactful speeches was his “I Have a Dream” speech, given in 1963, which gathered over 200,000 people listening to him speak.
In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in fighting inequality at the age of 35, meaning that he was the youngest person at the time to receive that award. He put the money he recieved from this to continue the Civil Rights Movement.
For this day, Northwestern played an audio recording of one of his speeches in chapel. Someone in attendence said of it: “I love the way that he speaks. He’s captivating in his words, and he is so powerful with his message.”
King’s speeches are regardless as timeless.
Being able to celebrate his works every year helps us to see how powerfully spoken he was while being able to remember his legacy.
His works should extend further than just this one day, however, because we cannot allow his ideas to regress.
There are always efforts put toward increasing the equality of every person. King’s works have been preserved and can serve as a guide for those fighting for equality today.
Many of King’s sermons can still be viewed for free online for anyone who wishes to listen to those to listen to his powerful words.
As we go out past this day, it is important not to forget who helped fight for the positions that our world is in today with the steps taken towards equality.
