Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. and Honoring his Legacy

Part of America’s strength lies in the core tenet of continually pursuing a more equal, united, and free America. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we celebrate the icon who ushered in a stronger America and changed the course of civil rights for all people in the United States.  

MLK led peaceful protests across the country, fighting to ensure that the pursuit of the American Dream was available to all, regardless of skin color, religion, or creed. His vision for the future was one in which all Americans worked in harmony with each other and had equal access to the freedoms and economic opportunities enshrined in the Constitution. 

Over the course of his career as a preacher and civil rights leader, MLK proved himself as a catalyst for creating a better America. He traveled over six million miles, gave hundreds of speeches, and nationalized the movement through broadcast media to spread the message of racial equality and national unity. He fought tirelessly for desegregation, criminal justice reform, and the abolition of Jim Crow laws by forcing our nation to discuss our shared values of freedom and justice for all. 

At LEAD, we honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and underscore his critical impact on the fabric of American democracy.  

When MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the American Dream was still inaccessible to many across the country. His leadership changed the course of the nation, creating a country devoted to protecting civil liberties, equality of opportunity, and individual freedoms for all Americans.