Martin Luther King Jr. Activism
To truly understand the impact of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 13-year effort for freedom and justice, let’s break down his career into two distinct phases: before and after the campaign in Selma, Alabama.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott kicked off in December 1955 and concluded on March 25th, 1965, marked by the notable voting-rights march from Selma to Montgomery. In the initial years, King’s powerful speeches and his remarkable courage were driven by his deep belief in divine justice and his dream of establishing a new Christian social order.
This led to a widespread endorsement of the principle of “noncooperation with evil” among supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. They stood against the social injustices of segregation through peaceful, passive resistance, refusing to comply with unfair and immoral Jim Crow laws. The beatings, arrests, mistreatment, and brutality they endured became the cost they paid for their unprecedented victories.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | History, Early Life, & Quotes
Martin Luther King Jr Day is an annual federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the third Monday of January to honor the civil rights leader. It coincides with his birthday on January 15, this year falling on January 16. President Reagan established the holiday in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986, becoming a nationwide holiday in 2000. Only three people in the US have holidays dedicated to them: Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr. On this day, banks, stock markets, and public schools are closed.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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