Thank You Dr. King

This is the day set aside to honor one of our national heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. Here are some facts about Dr. King:

Martin Luther King Quick Facts

Birth	January 15, 1929
Death	April 4, 1968
Place of Birth	Atlanta, Georgia
Known for	Leading the civil rights movement in the United States
	Advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination
Milestones	1954 Selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
	1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University
	1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama, buses
	1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
	1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story
	1963 Wrote ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws
	1963 Delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to civil rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
	1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize
	1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation
	1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
Quote	‘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.’ August, 1963, in a speech to civil rights supporters at the March on Washington.
Did You Know	King’s nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.
	In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine’s Man of the Year.
	King’s efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War.

“Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Quotes–Famous and Not so Famous:

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.

Martin Luther King, Jr., speech, Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 1963.

We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

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….The chain reaction of evil–hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars–must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Wall Street Journal, November 13, 1962.

I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute. Not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Rediscovering Lost Values, Feb. 28, 1954

Dr. King lived a life a servitude. Matthew 20:26-28 states, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave–just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Through a life in service to God first, we can begin to serve others. We are to serve our brothers and sisters and those who cannot defend themselves. Today, let us commit ourselves to service. Whether in your church, community, workplace, or family–how can we give of ourselves? Thank you, Dr. King for providing a model for us to follow. Thank you for your relentless fight for African-Americans, peace, and those who are poor and underpriviledged.

I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go 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.

Martin Luther King, Jr., From an address given in Memphis the night before his assassination, April 3, 1968

Sources: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkquotes1.html http://www.mlkonline.net/

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Comments

View Comments to “Thank You Dr. King”

Patrice says:

January 20, 2009 at 5:38 PM

I love this post and some of the infamous quotes you selected.
LATOIA BROWN says:

January 20, 2009 at 6:37 PM

It is an awesome thing to be focused and dedicated something greater than oneself. It is much more effective when we consult God for direction in the things that we endeavor. Great post!

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