![Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mathew Ahmann in a crowd.], - 8/28/1963](https://christianitydaily-29b4.kxcdn.com/files/cache/image/0/71/7139_w_800_634.jpg)
The entire United States of America recently celebrated the life and legacy of one of the most important people in the country's history, Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist Pastor known for his work in the Civil Rights Movement. He was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King, a former school teacher.
He studied systematic theology in Boston University and was soon ordained as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
Alabama would soon become the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement where Dr. King Jr. persistently advocated for non-violentprotests
On August 28,1963, he delivered his renowned "I Have a Dream" speech to more than 200,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," Dr. King Jr. said in the speech.
He was named "Man of the year" by the Times and was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. King Jr. continued his civil rights advocacy until he was shot dead on April 4,1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.
President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a national day of mourning for Dr. King. Later that year, the Civil Rights Act was signed.
In recognition of MLK Jr.'s achievements and legacy, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1983 declaring the third Monday of January as a federal holiday in King's honor.
Inspiring
Now, Dr. King Jr.'s vision continues to inspire many people across the country, including President Donald Trump, who dedicated his first term as President to making America great again - by following in the footsteps of a man who never judged people by the color of their skin.
"We embrace the vision of Martin Luther King, where children are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," President Donald Trump said in commemoration of the great Baptist leader, One America News Network reported.
The President's 1776 Commission, in its recent report about the country's founding values, indicated that Dr. King Jr.'s dream for America will pave the way for racial reconciliation and healing among those who suffered from the racial divide.
Known radio host Glenn Beck, speaking of Dr. King Jr.'s legacy of nonviolence, highlighted the bravery that nonviolent resistance needs.
"People will say nonviolent resistance is a method of cowards. It is not. It takes more courage to stand there when people are threatening you."
The host added that giving in to the threats one faces and doing what they do betray's a person's convictions - something Dr. King Jr. did not do.
"You're not necessarily the one who is going to win. You may lose. But you are standing up with courage for the ideas that you espouse. And the minute you engage in the kind of activity that the other side is engaging in, you discredit the movement. You discredit everything we believe in."
