Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Born January 15, 1929, Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would’ve turned 91 Years old today; as we celebrate the day of his birth almost 47 years after he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Born to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King, Dr. King was a gifted man from his youth. He skipped grades 9 through 12, and began college at Morehouse College at the age of 15; the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather. The iconic leader received his B.A. degree in 1948.
Following his family’s long tenure as pastors, MLK was ordained and served as co-pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA; the same church his father and grandfather pastored.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested almost 30 times, on acts of civil disobedience and false charges. He was once jailed in Montgomery, Alabama in 1956, for driving 30 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone.
King’s last public speech was at Mason Temple Church, where he told the congregation:
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now … 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. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was standing on the balcony of his motel room, where he was preparing to lead a protest march for garbage workers who were on strike. James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the assassination.
In 1983, President Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday celebrating Dr. King, first celebrated in 1986. The national holiday is celebrated every third Monday in January.
Happy Birthday, from The Source to the legend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
