The Dream Lives On: Tribute to MLK

On August 28, 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed his speech to 250,000 people of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds. This legend of a man shook the nation with four words in his speech, "I have a DREAM." January 20 is a day of unification, otherwise known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Close to a quarter million people united in a time when this was most frowned upon. Yet, King stood, unknowingly leaving a legacy for decades. Sections of his speech are found below, highlighting the very message King said in our nation's capital.[caption id="attachment_21624" align="aligncenter" width="526"]

An excerpt from the beginning of King's speech.[/caption]Less than a year after this famous speech, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law July 2, 1964. This was only the middle of the long, tumultuous road King helped build. Before and after his powerful speech, King was involved in his cause and even went to jail for it at one point. He would never advocate for violence, his actions were always on the moral side, probably because he was also a Baptist minister.King would go on to win a Nobel Peace Prize because of his nonviolent Civil Rights and Social Justice actions. Sadly, while standing outside of a hotel room on April 4, 1968, King was assassinated in a true crime of hatred. Yet, his legacy has far surpassed the 51 years of his life.

To this day, if you mention the initials "MLK" or say his full name, "Martin Luther King Jr." people know exactly who you are talking about and the iconic presence he still holds today. While our nation has taken leaps and bounds to deter racism and segregation, we would be remiss to think it is fully out of our society.Even still, we can come together and unite. We can honor a legacy like King's and accept our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds and races. Good people deserve to be recognized and honored, no matter what. Positive should foster positive. Those in our community hold the highest levels of this example.While serving in the military, you only see a person willing to give their life for you, just as you are willing to give yours for them. After all, we all only bleed red. As a matter of fact, the military desegregated their ranks in 1948, which is 16 years before the rest of the nation.

Continue to follow in these footsteps. Join your local community on Monday January 20, 2020 by honoring the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. and remember that each person brings a value to this world. Let us come together and unite as one, human race.In fact, we challenge you to follow this message the other 364 days also. As the saying goes "One Team, One Fight."(You can view King's full speech, here. His full biography, here.)