On Monday, Americans across the country will celebrate the national holiday
honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During his
lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge the common ground on which people from
all walks of life could join together as equals to address important
community issues. Service, he realized, was the great equalizer. As he once
said, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” Dr. King was
born on Tuesday, Jan.15, 1929,in Atlanta, Ga. Because of his high scores on
the college entrance examinations in his junior year of high school, he
advanced to Morehouse College without formal graduation from Booker T.
Washington High School. Having skipped two grades, Dr. King entered
Morehouse at the age of 15. In 1948,he graduated from Morehouse College
with a B.A. degree in Sociology.
Dr. King began doctoral studies in Systematic Theology at Boston University
and studied at Harvard University. He entered the Christian ministry and
was ordained in February 1948 at the age of 19 at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Dr. King was a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement. He was elected
president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization that
was responsible for the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955 to 1956
(381 days). He was arrested 30 times for his participation in civil rights
activities. He was a founder and president of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference from 1957 to 1968.Dr. King was shot while standing on
the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. on April 4,1968.
Dr. King received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his leadership.
Among them:
• Doctor of Humane Letters, Morehouse College
• Doctor of Laws, Howard University
• Doctor of Divinity, Chicago Theological Seminary
• Named “Man of the Year,” by Time Magazine, 1963.
• The John F. Kennedy Award, from the Catholic Interracial Council of
Chicago, 1964.
• The Nobel Peace Prize, at age 35,the youngest man, second American, and
the third black man to be so honored,1964.
• The Rosa L. Parks award, presented by The Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, posthumously, 1968.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His
lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a
generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in
the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This
devotion gave direction to 13 years of civil rights activities. His
charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in this
nation and around the world.


Abdoulie A. Jallow
(BambaLaye)
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Dr. M.L King Jr.

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