Martin Luther King Junior, named after the German reformer Martin Luther, was born on January 15, 1929, lived his life as a clergyman and activist, and was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39.

Even though Martin Luther King Jr. is not with us today, we can feel his great impact on our community. He was greatly influenced by Gandhi’s non-violence policy and organized many marches and boycotts. He spoke out about controversial topics in his church and in public speeches, reaching out to the public and showing the people how to work together to create a society of equality.

King greatly shaped our culture and formed a future where we see racial segregation as a matter of the past. We now learn in diverse schools and live in communities that are much more open-minded.

Even though we have come this far, we must continue learning from Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of peace and love.

MLK didn’t live as a man, he lived as a species.

“I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.”

—— “I’ve been to the mountain top.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.