MLK: The Road To Justice, A Legacy of Determination

Martin Luther king Jr. (born January 15th 1929) was a pastor and one of the most influencial civil rights activists of the movment fighting for the rights of the African American people from the mid 1950s, until his assassination in 1968. He pursued equality, acceptance and justice through peaceful protests, encouraging people to avoid using violence. He graduated at the age of 15, and got his BA from Morehouse College.

Martin Luther King and his family lived in the town of Montgomery for less than a year when the extremely segregated city was placed in the centre of the Civil Rights Movement.

On the 1st of December, a woman by the name of Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white person, and was subsequently arrested. Activists then refused to use the bus and the boycott continued for 381 days and placed such a severe strain on the public transport system, that the supreme court had to rule segregation seating on public buses as unconstitutional. King was chosen as the leader of the protests and official spokesperson. This placed him on a national platform, as an inspirational activist who was leading the fight for people's rights. It also meant he became a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his house.

That wasn't the only time he was attacked; in 1958 Izola Ware Curry approached King during a book signing in Harlem, where she stabbed him. Luckily he survived the assasination attempt and consequently, it cemented his position of non-violence and peaceful protest.

In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed, with the goal of achieving full equality for African American people through non-violence. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected as president of the group and travelled across the country and across the globe, giving speeches on non-violent protests and meeting many religious people and activists. One person who King claimed inspired him was Mahatma Gandhi, and described him as “the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change.”

In 1963, Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph led a massive march for jobs and freedom. Over 250 thousand people marched to the Lincoln memorial, where Martin Luther King presented his iconic ‘I have a dream’ speech. “ I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

In 1964, MLK became the youngest person at the time to win the Nobel peace prize and in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which aimed to remove the legal barriers at the state and local levels that were preventing African Americans from voting.

MLK left the world a changed place. He inspired thousands of people around the world to stand up for themselves and their rights. He challenged those with racist views and even when people tried to stop him and hurt him, he persevered and remained resilient. MLK never stopped fighting for people's rights, because he was determined to achieve justice.

Martin Luther King can be regarded as one of the most influential people in history. Life can often throw challenges in our way that knock us down; sometimes we won’t know how to overcome them or how to keep moving forwards. Determination is what drove MLK to achieve all that he did. Determination and resilience. When life throws obstacles at us, we must remember our goals and keep moving forward. Great things are only achieved through hard work and determination, without that, nothing can be achieved. During this pandemic, many things have become impossible to do, and many of our goals may suddenly be unattainable. That is why it is important, more now than ever to keep our heads up and keep moving forward. Even when things seem hopeless, there is always a way out.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. He left behind a legacy of justice, patience and determination, and continues to inspire people today, years after his passing.

“If you can't fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But by all means, keep moving” - Martin Luther King Jr.

- Dia Nanda