Teaching and Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In the pantheon of individuals who have immediate name recognition in the United States, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is surely among the most well known. The national civil rights figure rose to prominence during the 1960s as a push for civil, political, and economic rights for minorities and, specifically African Americans, consumed the national conversation.

Perhaps best known for his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Southern Baptist preacher and organizer is today synonymous with the civil rights movement and is a continued inspiration for many Americans. Since his assassination in 1968, King has become a symbol of human and civil rights in the U.S. Indeed, more than 1,000 streets are named after him, in addition to a number of schools and other civic institutions.