Today is Dr. Martin Luther King’s holiday. Dr. King was born January 25, 1929, and assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was a Christian minister in America, a leader and activist from 1955-1968. His supporters backed non-violent protests, and he is credited with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned segregation in public places and discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Always fighting for the end to racial discrimination and segregation his 9/28/1963, “I Have A Dream,” speech resonates his sentiments. In this speech he speaks of all of us joining together to work out our differences despite our contrasts.
Dr. King spent time in St. Augustine, Florida, speaking and organizing people for the passage of this legislation. During this time St. Augustine was a hot bed for the Klu Klux Klan. He was hidden in area homes as a drive by shooting occurred in one of the homes he was known to be staying in. He was also arrested in St. Augustine and spent time in jail for ordering food in a “whites only,” motel. Two days later upon his release from jail he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Yale.
Today there is a St. Augustine street named in honor of him and a memorial in Washington, D.C.
