Hey, Freedom Lovers!
Not in line with the philosophy of Napoleon Bonaparte, I certainly think that freedom is for everybody. Martin Luther King Jr. believed it too and had to confront a country that had taken freedom away from its own citizens. We all know how he worked through nonviolence to combat racist and segregating laws. Learn a few more facts about Martin Luther King Jr. in celebration of his birthday!
MICHAEL Luther King?!
Yeah, not a lot of people know that Martin Luther King Jr. wasn’t named after his father’s original name. King Senior was born Michael King and changed his name after the death of his father-in-law (a pastor) to a historical religious leader from Germany named Martin Luther and followed in the ministry for his career. He then passed his new name to his firstborn son: Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin in the Middle
Born after his older sister and followed by his younger brother, Martin Luther King Jr. was the middle child in his family. Unlike either of his siblings, however, Martin’s birthday is the only one to be celebrated as a national holiday—in fact, he’s the only other American whose birthday is a national holiday aside from our founding father, George Washington.
Bad Boy Junior
Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested 30 times in his day. You have to understand, kids—he wasn’t arrested for being a criminal. He was arrested for nonviolently fighting against the laws of segregation that were racist and unreasonable. The words of St. Augustine put it best: “An unjust law is no law at all.”
A renowned speaker and an incredible influence to raise awareness to the injustice of the world we were living in just a little over 55 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. helped us so we can all appreciate our birthright of equality. Enjoy your birthright today and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John