Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

On January 20, we honor Martin Luther King Jr. one of the most influential American civil rights leaders. Born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, King lived in a time when segregation and racial inequality was rampant. King's father, a Baptist minister, encouraged King to fight against racial prejudice. The family believed it was an affront to God's will. His father discouraged any kind of class superiority, and that attitude indelibly marked his children.

Martin Luther King Jr. studied theology and became a minister and leader, leading many effective peaceful protests and marches including the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, a campaign against racial segregation within the transit system.  After more than a year of trudging to work and around town, boycotters won the fight and celebrated their first victory. There'd no longer be segregation on buses, and black riders weren't required to give up their seats for white riders.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society

In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the youngest man to earn that award. An influential speaker, King's most memorable speech was his “I Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963 to 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. Following his death, a movement began to make King's birthday a federal holiday. It took many years, the endorsement of Stevie Wonder with his single "Happy Birthday," and a petition with six million signatures before the bill became law in 1983. The first Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed in 1986.

Today, the federal holiday is widely recognized, with all federal offices, many state offices and some businesses closing, and schools focusing their studies on King's life and achievements. Federal policy encourages Americans to volunteer their time to worthy causes in remembrance of King.

TJM Promotions is proud to spread the word about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We wish all our friends well, and hope that you can volunteer in some capacity to promote the mission of Dr. King. May you be inspired by his life, and find in his memory the courage to make a difference.

"If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.