Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., most famously known for his "I Have a Dream" speech, was one of the greatest social activists in history, playing an unmatched role in the American Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950's, until his death in 1968. Through his ideology of peaceful protests, King's main goal was to bring about human rights and equality for African Americans which was portrayed through landmark events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the 1963 March on Washington. His tenacity and drive helped result in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education, and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices.
In 1964, King became the youngest person at that time to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1965, King led a peaceful rally of 20,000 people, from Roxbury, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, to the Boston Common - the country's oldest public park. This rally marked one of the first Civil Rights marches in the Northeast.
This year, January of 2023, a 20-foot tall monument was unveiled in the Boston Common honoring Dr. King, and his wife, Coretta Scott King's legacy, titled "The Embrace." The Embrace symbolizes the hug the couple shared after Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, further reiterating King's mantra of nonviolence and solidarity.
This month and always, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his dedicated fight to equality and human rights for African Americans.
Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King embracing one another after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
