MLK and why we honor him

mlk-2020

(NETWORK INDIANA)  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the embodiment of some American principles, including freedom of speech, said Purdue Prof. John Gates. He’s using King’s civility as a model for a series of panel discussions through the end of March.

“When we think about Dr. King, he certainly encouraged us to engage in the Democratic process. He was all about voting rights and Civil Rights,” said Gates. “He also practiced civility in his daily life, in his teaching and his learning and I think civil disobedience lends itself to civility with action.”

MLK Day, which was signed into law as a federal holiday in 1983, thanks to Hoosier Rep. Katie Hall, has become a National Day of Service, as well, with people being encouraged to volunteer and take the day to help others.

King is remembered for his speeches, and also for his willingness to go to jail (which he did) to protest racism in the south.

“The freedom of expression part we think is very important,” said Gates.

The “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, written in 1963, defends King’s strategy of non-violent resistance.

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