Who is MLK & Why do we celebrate him?
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was a civil rights leader during the mid-1950s. He led the movement to end segregation and counter prejudice in the USA through peaceful protest. He gave many speeches that are still quoted today. the leadership he brought to the civil rights movement opened doors to education and employment that had previously been closed to the black population in America. we celebrate DR. KING on the third Monday in January to honor his commitment to equal rights and justice for all.
MLK Champion of Education for all
Dr. King passionately advocated for education and understood its importance for furthering the status of minorities and in eradicating societal prejudices. below are a few different quotes/observations made by MLK that still hold weight we sourced several quotes from MLKdayeveryday :
- “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
- “The complete education provides you not just the power of concentration, but commendable goals upon which to focus.”
- “It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.”
- “At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”
MLK the Civil Rights Organizer and leadership lessons he didn’t know he taught us
Dr. King at 25 had just become the pastor of the Dextre Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, and sat on the local chapter of the NAACP. in 1955, he led the Montgomery bus boycott for 385 days. his outspoken and very public role in the boycott made him the best-known spokesperson for the civil rights movement. for the next decade, his skill in organizing, effective leadership, and CONNECTIONS ALLOWED him to lead marches and boycotts for a wide variety of blacks’ civil rights, particularly the right to vote and desegregation.
By learning about MLK you can gain a few lessons in great leadership.
- Empower The Powerless– build momentum and movement through the mobilization of many single people. when people self-identify with the actions needed, they take ownership of a historic event, and that gives those actions powers. It inspires people to enact CHANGE AND gives ENERGy to shift society forward.
- Find The Opportunity In Every Situation– a great leader will do their best to make good of a difficult situation. When Dr. King was sitting in jail in 1963, he continued to write and inspire. he chose to lead peaceful protests while still facing violent threats against his life.
- Pursue The Impossible– As a leader, you need to believe that something better is possible. Dr. King understood that all people could be better when given basic access to civil rights and fair education. There is still more work to be done, today’s activities and civil rights leaders continue to move the needle forward so that we live up to Dr. King’s “I have a dream…” speech.
We continue to honor and celebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., here at Case•it we continue to create products that will help people stay organized, so they can focus on continued learning and pursuit of the impossible.
