This Monday, January 18th, we have a day off in honor of the civil rights advocate Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr, often known as MLK, was born on January 15, 1929, and assassinated on April 4th, 1968. Over his short life, he fought for the equality of people of color and the unity of both races. MLK left a strong impact on not just the United States but the world as a whole as he fought tirelessly for rights that were stolen from him and every person of color.

Throughout his life, he was a person of faith gifted with leadership capabilities and strength. He motivated others to stand up for unification and continuously preached out for people to stand for what was right. On August 28th, 1963, one of the most impactful speeches in American history was delivered by Dr. King for thousands in front of the Lincoln Memorial. MLK delivered this unforgettable speech just 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, delivered by none other than President Abraham Lincoln. MLK’s words that day would later be engraved where Dr. King stood to remind us of his invaluable lesson and the continuous fight for racial equality across all metrics.

 MLK proclaimed his future visions of equality and liberty for all, not only for people of color nationally but all minorities across the globe. Dr. King says this as his closing remark to his I Have A Dream Speech, “and when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city…. God’s children, black men, and white men, Jews, and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics, will be able to join hands…” Dr. King dreamed for the equality of all men, and he realized that the time to change was now. If he were here today to see the amazing civil rights movements of 2020 and 2021, he would know just how strong his impact really was.

Nearly fifty-eight years after his death, we still talk about his accomplishments and acknowledge his lasting impact on this world. We thank him for today; a today where we can live with hope for a better future as we take steps toward equality on all levels for all people. Each year, we celebrate his memory as a thank you for rising above all opposition and his promise never to back down. Because of MLK’s strength, sacrifice, and vision for the future, we are blessed to live in a world that highlights our peoples’ diversity and rejects bigotry and racism. Thank you, Dr. King, for your continued sacrifice and your leadership as we continue to steer through 2021 and the civil rights movement.