On January 15, 1929, a man that will forever be held in the hearts of millions was born. He was undoubtedly the most influential figure in the civil rights movement in the United States. Dr. King is one of the most celebrated men in world history for his accomplishments in working for equality for African Americans. In fact, he is the only American to have a national holiday created in his honor who was never a President. Inspired by Gandhi, he practiced nonviolent measures to gain equality for all races and genders across the United States. 

Martin Luther King, Jr., had such a presence on the American society that in 1963 he was named Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” following his famous March on Washington. This civilized “march” drew over 250,000 people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where he would recite the speech, “I Have a Dream.” This event also led Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which eliminated legalized racial segregation across the United States. 

In 1968, Dr. King's life was abruptly ended in Memphis, Tennessee. After his assassination, his body was delivered to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, where he is now buried. His wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, established The King Center in 1968, also located in Atlanta. This center is dedicated to teaching visitors about nonviolent social change and was created as a “living memorial” to Dr. King.

NSHSS asks for your help in celebrating this great man’s life and accomplishments. Please take the pledge with us to become active in the initiative “100 Days of Nonviolence.” This initiative is led by your fellow NSHSS Ambassadors and will be occurring until April 26, 2013, 100 Days after Dr. King’s birthday. Get involved with your school and community in spreading knowledge related to nonviolent approaches as solutions and start discussions with other scholars through our Facebook page and Twitter. NSHSS enjoys hearing the stories you have to share about this ongoing initiative, so if you have an experience to share, write us at editor@nshss.org and you could be featured in next month’s Scholars’ Journal.