Martin Luther King Jr. Day

REST IN POWER | 1965 Civil Rights March, Selma, Alabama | Photographs by: Dennis Hopper

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed on the third Monday of January since 1986 to reflect on the 'Good Trouble' John Lewis encouraged, and King championed to end racial inequality and segregation.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just a day to pay respect to the late great civil rights leader. It is also a call to action in the face of global injustices such as discrimination, invasion, and occupation. This day provides an opportunity to honor those who have fought tirelessly and continue to do so for human and civil rights, regardless of personal characteristics such as race, gender, or religion.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1964 book WHY WE CAN'T WAIT describes 1963 as a landmark year in the civil rights movement. The book is said to be inspired by King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and is about the nonviolent movement against racial segregation in the United States, specifically the 1963 Birmingham campaign. In the book, Martin Luther King Jr. writes,

“Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shores, the scar of racial hatred had already disfigured colonial society. From the sixteenth century forward, blood flowed in battles of racial supremacy. We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade. Indeed, even today we have not permitted ourselves to reject or to feel remorse for this shameful episode. Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

In a world fraught with conflict and the devastating effects of climate change, the timeless words of Martin Luther King Jr. ring true: "It is always the right time to do the right thing." Only peace can unite warring factions, and only through the collective will of the people can we protect the natural world and prevent ecocide.

Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., let 2024 be a landmark year for humanity's salvation and redemption.

Learn from King's legacy of nonviolent social change