Today in History: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 As we pause today to celebrate his work, his character, and the effect of his example upon the world, we shall do well to appraise our own behavior by the standards he set, by the model of compassionate concern and courageous committment he offered to us.

-- President John H. Fischer, Remarks at the Memorial Service in Honor of Martin Luther King, Teachers College, January 15, 1970.

 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday that commemorates the birth date of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the Civil Rights Movement. It is celebrated on the third Monday in January, near King’s birthday, January 15th.

At the age of 35, Martin Luther King, an advocate of nonviolent protest, was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end racial discrimination and desegregation. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. His widely quoted speech, "I Have a Dream," delivered on the 28th of August, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., is one of the most widely quoted and moving speeches in United States history.

In celebration of the MLK holiday on Monday, January 16th, the following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Text Of Dr. King's Dramatic Speech At Great D. C. Rally. (1963, Sep 05). Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-) 
• King Observances Set For Schools Today. (1970, Jan 15). Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Strayhorn, L. (1982, Feb 06). Dr. Martin Luther King, a Numerical Biography. New York Amsterdam News (1962-) 
• Foner, E. (1982, Sep 12). The Man Who Had the Dream: Let the Trumpet Sound. New York Times (1923-) 
• Payne, E. (1988, Jan 30). Behind the Scenes: Keeping the Martin Luther King Dream Alive. Afro-American (1893-) 
• As We Pause To Remember!: Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968). (1988, Jan 14). Call and Post (1982-) 
• A Black Voice Of America: "I Have a Dream", the Famous Words Of Martin Luther King Stirred a Generation Of Black People.  (1989, Sep 10). The Times of India (1861-2010) 
• Branch, T. B. (1990, Jan 14). Children's Books: Martin Luther King: The Books Are Getting Better. New York Times (1923-)
• Taylor, S.W. (1992, Jan 25). Students Study Life Of Martin Luther King Jr.: Learn Of Blacks' Fight For Rights. The Hartford Courant (1923-) 
• A Biography Of Achievements: Martin Luther King Jr., the Best Known Rights Activist, Started Early. (2006, Jan 15). Philadelphia Tribune (1912-) 

Tips:

• Miller, Keith D. Martin Luther King’s Biblical Epic His Final, Great Speech. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2012. e-book
• Nagelhout, Ryan. Martin Luther King Jr. : in His Own Words. First edition. New York, NY: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2014. e-book
• Senter, Jacqueline Conciatore. Martin Luther King Jr. : Fulfilling a Dream. New York: Cavendish Square Publishing, 2018. e-book
• Turner, Myra. The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination 50 Years Later. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Publishing Group, 2018. e-book
• Watson, Stephanie. Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Core Library, An Imprint of Abdo Publishing, 2016. e-book

Images:

• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. (1963). Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. waving to the crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Art and Artifacts Division, The New York Public Library. (1967 - 1968). Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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