Martin Luther King, Jr.

With MLK day approaching, a short blog post dedicated to him, ABOUT HIM, is in order.

His most famous speech, “I Have a Dream”, which was delivered on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In his speech, he called out the racial inequality and injustices prevalent in the U.S., asking for the necessary changes that needed to happen in order to improve our society.

Through using a part in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal”, he pointed out his dream for people in the U.S. to fulfill that creed through creating a nation where you will be treated humanely for the value of who you are as a person, not by the color of your skin.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

This speech was one big factor that intensified the civil rights movement.

        Curious to read the whole speech? Check out this article:

        "I Have a Dream," Address Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

 MLK led many marches to get African Americans their basic civil rights: voting rights, desegregation, and labor rights, to name a few. This, among other factors, led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

He was able to achieve all these through non- violent means, greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s approach to a non- violent activism. Non-violent resistance paves way for social change to happen through non- violent means.

        To read about the 8 peaceful protests that MLK participated in, check out:

        Martin Luther King Jr.: 8 peaceful protests that bolstered civil rights

Many things can be learned through MLK’s actions that people can apply in present social problems, and for the ones in the future as well. While some social changes already happened, there are more that can be improved. The persistence and passion that MLK applied is something admirable, since change can only occur through long- term effort and commitment.