Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When I think about what it means to Be BOLD, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the epitome of EVERYTHING BOLD! He was born on January 15, 1929. He was a Baptist minister and activist. His father Martin Luther King Sr. was also an activist and minister. He was inspired by his Christian beliefs and Mahatma Gandhi. He believed that there was a better way to fight without violence. By being BOLD, by using his voice. Most notable for me was when he gave his "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.
The civil rights movement achieved legislative gains through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the fair Housing Act of 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was hunted and harassed for his views, strength, and unrelentless passion to fulfill his mission of equality and peace. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed and harassed by the FBI which was led at the time by J. Edgar Hoover.
On October 14, 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee on the balcony of his motel. I made it a point to visit that motel when I was in Tennessee years ago for business. It didn't look like it changed since the day of the assassination. I had so many emotions looking at that motel and a feeling of, he was right there. He was standing right here. His death was followed by national mourning, as well as anger leading to riots in many U.S cities.
King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2003. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a holiday in many states beginning in 1971. It wasn't until Ronald Reagan signed legislation that it became a federal holiday in 1986. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall was dedicated in 2011.
I encourage you to read more about this amazing man. I provided small details about such a courageous, passionate, brave human being. There are so many other amazing things he did in his lifetime.
Can you imagine being him and waking up each day with such a powerful life-changing mission? To know he would be condemned and ridiculed for just about every move he made. To have his life and his family's lives threatened. To find the strength to carry on and not give up. He knew what he was meant to do and by God, he didn't waiver. Amazing doesn't even seem like a big enough word to describe his HUGE existence. I often wonder what he would think of us in 2023? Although there have been strides and accomplishments when it comes to equality in America, we are not there yet and we can do so much more. We have to speak up and use our voices when we know something isn't right or someone is being mistreated. Hatred and inequality are like a cancer and can not be tolerated on any level.
I admire Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all of his BOLDNESS!! Be BOLD!
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