Martin Luther King Day: Best Quotes, Gift Cards and Interesting Facts

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is held on January 18 this year.

On the third Monday in January, citizens across the states enjoy this federal holiday to remember this Nobel Peace Prize winner’s achievements every year. The date was chosen as it is close to Dr. King’s birth date on January 15th.

AmeriCorps has been campaigning for 25 years for this to be a national day of service rather than merely a holiday, encouraging everyone to help their local community in memory of Dr. King’s accomplishments in civil rights.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. Soon after, there were calls for a national holiday since he was an iconic civil rights leader and one of the most influential African American activists of the 20th Century at the time of his death, according to Twinkl.

Interesting Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

✺ Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

✺ He was originally named Michael Luther King Jr. In the 1930s, Michael Sr. traveled to Germany and was inspired by Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. After changing his own name, he legally changed his son’s name to match.

✺ King’s father was a Baptist minister and his mother was a school teacher.

✺ He won a Grammy. Sure, Dr. King sang with his church choir as a child at the gala premiere of “Gone With The Wind,” but he wasn’t known for his singing skills. In fact, it wasn’t until 1971 that Dr. King won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. The posthumous honor was given for his album Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.

✺ He is best known in the USA and internationally for his part in advancing the civil rights movement by using nonviolent methods of protest.

✺ King was a highly educated man with bachelor's degrees in sociology and divinity, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology.

✺ While studying for his Ph.D. at Boston University, MLK was mentored by theologian and civil rights leader, Howard Thurman, who was a big influence on him.

✺ He met and married Coretta Scott, a music student and aspiring singer, in 1953. The couple had four children, Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott, and Bernice.

✺ In 1955 Martin Luther King Jr. led a boycott of buses in Montgomery, Alabama after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. The Montgomery Bus Boycott went on for 381 days, but eventually led to the abolishment of racial segregation on public buses in Alabama.

✺ In May, 1957, King gave his famous "Give Us the Ballot" speech during the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom in Washington.

✺ King’s most famous speech is his "I Have a Dream" speech. He performed it in 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to a crowd of over a quarter of a million people.

✺ Although King was a great man, he certainly was not a saint. Numerous accusations of extramarital affairs and womanizing were made against him, and he admitted in private that he had weaknesses in that area of his life. Also, during the 1980s, an investigation discovered that parts of King’s Ph.D. dissertation had been plagiarized.

✺ King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his role in opposing racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent protest and other means.

✺ On March 7, 1965, King was involved with organizing a march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the murder of a protester who was killed by an Alabama state trooper during the previous month. The march was blocked by state troopers and police officers who brutally beat the participants. The event, which came to be known as “Bloody Sunday,” was broadcast on news stations across the USA, and it fostered sympathy for the civil rights movement.

✺ His last great speech is known as the "I've Been to the Mountain Top" address, and it was delivered the day before he died on April 3, 1968.

✺ On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot by James Earl Ray.

✺ Some people have alleged that King’s murder was part of a larger conspiracy and that Ray was just a scapegoat.

Photo: Yoobi

✺ King’s favorite song was "Take My hand, Precious Lord." The song was sung at his funeral by his friend, Mahalia Jackson.

✺ Towards the end of his life, King had switched his focus from civil rights to campaigns to end poverty and stop the Vietnam War. Many of his liberal allies felt alienated by his stance on the war.

✺He spent his wedding night in a funeral home. In 1953, honeymoon suites that permitted African Americans didn’t exist, so Martin Luther King Jr. took his new bride, Coretta Scott King, to a friend’s funeral home for the night. Talk about romantic.

✺ The Lorraine Motel, where he was killed, is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

✺ After his death, King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

✺ In 1983 a new U.S. federal holiday dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. was signed into law by Ronald Reagan. The holiday was first observed three years later in 1986. At first, some states were reluctant to adopt the new holiday, but since the year 2000, all 50 states have celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

✺Martin Luther King Jr. is the only non-president to have a national holiday in his honor. He’s also the youngest male to have won a Nobel Peace Prize. After winning the prestigious award at age 35, he donated all of his prize money to the civil rights movement.

✺The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was originally supposed to open on August 22, 2011. The date was moved to October 16, 2011 due to damages from Hurricane Irene.

✺ The MLK Memorial came about thanks in large part to the efforts of the fraternity that MLK belonged to, Alpha Phi Alpha.

✺ The design of the memorial is the result of a very competitive bidding process. More than 900 applicants from 52 countries tried to win the design honor.

✺ The address for the memorial is 1964 Independence Ave., referencing the 1964 Civil Rights act.

✺ Nature is an important part of the memorial’s design. The cherry trees are positioned to bloom in a particular spot, so as to cause the effect of Martin Luther King Jr. gazing upon them.

Martin Luther King Day 2021: What’s open, what’s closed, is there trash pickup The life and legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated Monday. Here’s what is open and closed on the holiday. ...

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Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

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✺ "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

✺ "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."

✺ "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

✺ "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

✺ "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."

✺ "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

✺ "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

✺ "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

✺ "One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the great society...shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam."

✺ "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

✺ “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”

✺ “Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.”

✺ “We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”

✺ “There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.”

Photo: Officialdivinea

✺ “Property is intended to serve life, and no matter how much we surround it with rights and respect, it has no personal being. It is part of the earth man walks on. It is not man.”

✺ “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

✺ “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

✺ “There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”

✺ “Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.”

✺ “The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.”

✺ “We cannot walk alone.”

✺ “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

✺ “I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”

✺ “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.”

✺ “World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point. Those of us who believe in this method can be voices of reason, sanity, and understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion. We can very well set a mood of peace out of which a system of peace can be built.”

✺ “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.”

✺ “Mankind must put and end to war or war will put an end to mankind.”

✺ “If the cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. Because the goal of America is freedom, abused and scorned tho’ we may be, our destiny is tied up with America’s destiny.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Messages

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“Let us live our lives together as brothers or soon you will vanish as fools from this planet…. Best wishes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”

“On the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us take inspiration from the inspiring life of Martin Luther King Jr. and make our live worthy in every sense… Best wishes!!!”

“Let us celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by working on our education, by making it a package of intelligence and character building.”

“I am sending you best wishes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day…. May we celebrate this wonderful day by following the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. the great.”

“If there is injustice in part of the world then it is a threat to justice in every part of the world…. Wishing a very Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Gift Cards

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Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for the equality of all people, a fight that is still ongoing today. Through hardship and persecution, he never gave up. His work and legacy are an example to us all, so use this Martin Luther King Jr. Day card to remind everyone you know about this important work that still needs to be done.

Photo: Holidaycardsapp

Do you know someone who has a dream? A dream to make a difference for people who are living under hardships and disadvantages? If so, you have found the perfect MLK Day card to send in celebration of Martin Luther King Day! The red, white, and blue colors show that anyone can achieve the American Dream, as long as there is someone to fight for them. Send it to celebrate today!

Photo: Holidaycardsapp

During one of the most tumultuous and darkest times of American history, one man provided a voice for the victims across the nation. Every year on the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate the life, work, and sacrifice of this hero, Martin Luther King Jr. To honor this man and the work he did during the Civil Rights Movement, send this Martin Luther King Jr. Day card to everyone you know!

Photo: Holidaycardsapp

Over 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. dared to stand before his enemies and demand change for the betterment of his fellow men. With this Martin Luther King Jr. Day card, you can continue the fight for justice and remember the sacrifices of those that came before. Send it today!

Photo: Holidaycardsapp

Every year on the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate the life, work, and sacrifice of this hero, Martin Luther King Jr. To honor this man and the work he did during the Civil Rights Movement, send this Martin Luther King Jr. Day card to everyone you know!

The Echoes of Martin Luther King Jr. in the 21st Century The roots of the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s lie in the NAACP’s campaigning against lynching and segregated schools from the 1930s. There are many participants and casualties to recognize, such as Charles Hamilton Houston and Rosa Parks. Still, Martin Luther King Jr. brought fresh drive and peaceful protest to the movement, which has shaped the world as we know it today through better awareness and legislation. MLK once said, “we will meet the forces of hate with the power of love,” and shared his dream of a fairer future. His remarkable life was ended by those who oppose change and attack human rights activists, as happened to JFK, Gandhi, and too many others to name. White supremacy has not yet been eradicated. The Black Lives Matter movement that peaked in 2020 has highlighted the ongoing racial injustice and divisions in the United States and worldwide. The situation escalated to the point of violence on both sides, as it has in the past - something that Dr. King did not condone as productive in the long road to equality. But he also said, “a riot is the language of the unheard,” and whatever our feelings about civil disobedience, we are now confronted with the institutionalized racism that lingers in our nation. As educators, we have to lead the way as role models for our students from a young age. We should encourage respect and compassion between all people and honor peaceful activists (like Martin Luther King Jr.) who have given their lives to improve society’s systems and championed human rights. After all, it is said that if we forget the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes, as Twinkl reported.

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