Recognizing Martin L. King Day - January 15, 2018

[Ronyx]

"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."  Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Share your favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quote.

 

What is Martin Luther King Day?

Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Day is a United States federal holiday. It is celebrated annually on the third Monday of January and is also known as King Day or MLK Day. In some states it is also commonly referred to as Civil Rights Day or Human Rights Day. In recent years it is increasingly seen to be a 'Day of Service' when Americans are encouraged to volunteer to help others less fortunate than themselves.

Martin Luther King Day commemorates the birthday of American civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and celebrates his life, achievements and legacy.

King was hugely influential in the American Civil Rights Movement (despite never holding public office) and was a major advocate of non-violent activism in the struggle for the end of racial discrimination under US law. He was assassinated in 1968.

This federal holiday in King's honor was created in 1983, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, and first observed in January 1986. It is sometimes also referred to as "Civil Rights Day" or "Human Rights Day".

 

Edited January 14, 2018 by Ronyx

[Ronyx]

[Ronyx]

[Mikiesboy]

46 minutes ago, Ronyx said:

He was a smart man ... it's sad that there is still so much hatred and misundertanding in the world. If you stop and talk to your neighbour we usually discover more similarities than differences.

[Daddydavek]

[FormerMember4]

This year my heart breaks this holiday. We can never stop spreading his message. There is so much dividing  factors in the world right now. Especially here in the US. I hope everyday for good to win over evil. Believe in a New tomorrow!

Edited January 14, 2018 by BlindAmbition

[mogwhy]

48 minutes ago, Daddydavek said:

he spoke so many eloquent words, but these are some of the best. i can only hope i  did my best to spread his message, especially to my son

[MacGreg]

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Martin Luther King Jr. 

[Ronyx]

1 hour ago, BlindAmbition said:

This year my heart breaks this holiday. We can never stop spreading his message. There is so much dividing  factors in the world right now. Especially here in the US. I hope everyday for good to win over evil. Believe in a New tomorrow!

Well said, BlindAmbition. In today's troubling times, we must believe in a new tomorrow.

[mollyhousemouse]

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Defiance19]

 

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

 

When we look at modern man, we have to face the fact...that modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit, which stands in glaring contrast to his scientific and technological abundance; We've learned to fly the air like birds, we've learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven't learned to walk the Earth as brothers and sisters...

- Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

 

[FormerMember4]

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re all in the same boat now. Martin Luther King Jr 

[Former Member]

Not a quote, but we should remember that the organizer of the March on Washington, Bayard Rustin, was a Gay man as well as MLK’s mentor.

• Advocate.com
• Los Angeles Times
• Long Beach, CA Q Voice News
• Act Build Change
• Human Rights Campaign

[Ronyx]

Thank you @droughtquake I was not familiar with Bayard Rustin. I did some further reading and found this excellent article on Dr. King's views on gay rights:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/16/what-did-mlk-think-about-gay-people/    We must remember that in the 1950's and 60's gay rights were not spoken. King died a year before the Stonewall riots. If he were alive today,  he would be a champion for gay causes. His wife, Coretta Scott King, was an strong supporter of gay rights:

 

"I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.

 

"My husband, Martin Luther King Jr., once said, 'We are all tied together in a single garment of destiny... an inescapable network of mutuality,... I can never be what I ought to be until you are allowed to be what you ought to be.' Therefore, I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people."

 

-- From remarks delivered by the late Coretta Scott King, wife of civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Task Force's Creating Change conference in Atlanta on November 9, 2000.

[Ronyx]

Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

[TetRefine]

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”

 

“We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.”

 

His words ring especially true for the world now, in 2018. 

 

[Former Author]

RIP MLK. Legend!

 

Here in the UK you only discover that it is, in fact, MLK Day when you e-mail someone in the US and receive the out of office reply saying so.

[Drew Espinosa]

 

I get chills every time I listen to his I Have a Dream speech.

[sandrewn]

To most of you here, this is all history, that you learned about in school and films from that era. At my age I lived through most of it and remember all those events, seeing them as they unfolded. I can remember where and what I was doing when news of President Kennedy's death was announced. The civil rights marches, speeches, rallies and later the riots on the news and since American TV channels were what we mostly watched, I felt more like an American at times than Canadian. I have watched and listened to his last speech dozens of times, over the years. What I thought in 68 and still believe now, is he some how knew his time was short, one of those feelings we all get at one time or another. Less than a day later, his premonition came to pass and he was gone to glory. Who knows what might of been had he lived. In death a guiding light, alive a force that could of move mountains.

 

 

Martin Luther King's Last Speech: "I've Been To The Mountaintop" - YouTube

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2018 by sandrewn

[Former Member]

[Former Member]

[TetRefine]

1 hour ago, droughtquake said:

 

No surprises there....

[Ronyx]

Do not forget the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. posted on this page just because the day of recognition has ended. Dr. King began a great movement. Today all around us we see people trying to destroy that legacy. We must fight for our future, today's children, so that they may grow up in a world void of bigotry, injustice and hatred. 

 

[Former Member]

Nichelle Nichols credits ‘best, biggest fan’ MLK with convincing her to stay on Star Trek!