Posted January 16, 2023 | by KimS | in Civil Rights, DemDaily

DemDaily: The Dream Lives On

January 16, 2023

Today honors the memory of legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of history's most significant visionaries and voices, he was struck down by an assassin's bullet on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. King, 39, was there marching on behalf of striking sanitation workers.

The night before, in his famous "Mountain Top" speech, King called for the United States to defend for all its citizens the rights promised to them under the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence -- declaring that he would never give up until these natural rights were protected.

"Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Minister and Nobel Peace Prize recipient had already served as the powerful force behind the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights and 1965 Voting Rights Acts -- but understood that economic injustice was an equally dangerous threat under the broader umbrella of human rights.

King's work, words and sacrifice left an indelible imprint on history, and the nationwide commemoration ceremonies and tributes remind us how relevant his message is in today's world.