CELEBRATE A REMARKABLE LEADER

Written By: Sandi MacCalla ~ 1/16/2023

Here are a few little-known facts about Martin Luther King Jr.:

1. King was born Michael King Jr., but his father changed both of their names to Martin Luther in honor of the German theologian Martin Luther.
   
   
2. King's "I Have a Dream" speech was not the first time he delivered that message. He first gave a version of the speech at a rally in Detroit a few months before the March on Washington on 8/28/63.
   
   
3. King was arrested over 30 times during the civil rights movement.
   
   
4. At the age of 35, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
   
   
5. King was a skilled musician and often used music in his civil rights activism. He played the piano and organ, and sometimes incorporated music into his speeches and rallies.
   
   
6. King was also an avid baseball fan and threw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Braves game in 1959.
   
   
7. After his assassination, King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. In 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday in the United States.

Among his 15 most notable quotes are these that are true prophesies of our future:

“Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

“We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”

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