Every word from our mouths is an opportunity for good. A chance to make a difference and leave a forever impact on the world. No one knew that better than the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A passionate and eloquent speaker, Dr. King pursued his nonviolent mission to eliminate human rights failures by using the most powerful gift he had—his words. Words that are still quoted with honor today not only across the United States but also as far as Jerusalem and Japan.
This historic leader was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929 as Michael Luther King, Jr., later changing his name to Martin just as his father had previously done. After overcoming a devastating heartache from the loss of his maternal grandmother, he thrived under the pastoral eyes of his grandfather and father, graduating high school at fifteen. He was raised to believe that racism and segregation were an offense to God’s will, continually building his desire for change. As a result, his leadership in civil rights began early on, and he served as the chair of the Atlanta NAACP Youth Council Membership Committee in 1944.
Determined to take more professional paths than ministry, he pulled away from the church in search of something more. But only a few years later, he felt a call to return to his faith and was ordained in his home church. Next stop, seminary.
Despite frequent lapses of imperfection in college, his desire to see social change did not waver. When a mentor took him on and helped him see the true impact and undeniable connection of faith on social justice, he grew more dedicated to the mission at hand.
This was only the beginning of a road to realizing a dream for a united humanity as he walked a vocal path of goodwill. A path that led him straight to the acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. At the time, he was the youngest recipient ever of the esteemed award, and some say one of the most mission-minded, as he gave the prize money (over $54,000) to the civil rights movement.
Dr. King chased education and questions about God all the way to his doctorate degree, which he finished in 1955 at Boston University. Returning to his southern roots, he took a job as lead pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. This position, combined with his continued rise in the halls of the NAACP, gave him the perfect foundation to lead the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott. This peaceful demonstration ended in the declaration that laws governing segregation on busses was unconstitutional.
Shortly after, his foundation skyrocketed into a platform for change when he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, launching over 2,500 speaking opportunities over the next eleven years.
Over twenty arrests from peaceful protests, five authored books, revolutionary manifestos, and speeches of infamy such as “I Have a Dream” mark his legacy of unity on a divided nation. His Gandhi-style instruction to treat all humans with kindness and respect changed the world, one peaceful word after another. His widely heralded message of nonviolence makes his brutal assassination even more unfathomable. His voice was silenced on April 4, 1968, when he was shot standing outside of his hotel room in Memphis, TN.
They may have silenced the man, but they could not stop his words. His multitude of wisdom, encouragement, and motivation continues to be a world-changing phenomenon that lives on in the hearts of the people he left behind. Words that offer man the opportunity to do things differently.
Although it took fifteen years to pass, a bill was enacted in 1979 declaring the third Monday in January a holiday as a memorial to the man with a dream. However, this world-changing legacy was not recognized as a federal holiday until 1983 and not recognized by all fifty states until 2000. As I am sure the iconic legend knew, progress is sometimes slow.
There is something so beautiful about the truth that his legacy lives on in his words. This is just more proof that our words matter. That encouragement can make a difference, and that the search for light is something we should not live without. It is not an easy journey, but changing the world never really is. I am reminded of the power of our words and the importance of our mission every time I hear, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”