A prominent American activist and humanitarian took his first breath on this very date in the year 1929 at a pastor’s house in USA. He was named Michael King but his father changed it to Martin Luther King in honour of a German reformer. Little did the father know that his son would grow up to be a revolutionary even more famous than his namesake.
Martin Luther King, Jr. or King, as he is fondly called, grew up in an atmosphere tainted by racial prejudice and inequality. His mother’s upbringing, and thanks to his voracious reading habit, the influence of various authors, sowed the seeds of humanity and justice deep into his conscience.
A man of Christian faith, King went on to lead one of America’s most significant revolutions – to terminate the racial bias on the basis of skin colour – by adopting the legendary path of ‘passive-resistance’, Satyagraha. He followed the path of non-violence all through his life and thus, without raising a single weapon or firing a single bullet, King fought against thousands; and for this he was rightly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Despite several attempts to assassinate him by people on both sides of the colour divide, King remained steadfast in his mission of seeing his children living in a country where they would not be judged by the colour of their skin. Sadly, it was only after his death that this dream was realised. But what’s noteworthy is that the movement he initiated went on to the change the face of American history.
Today, on his birthday, let us remember him with the hope that peace and equality continue to triumph forever.
- Deep Trivedi
Martin Luther King, Jr. or King, as he is fondly called, grew up in an atmosphere tainted by racial prejudice and inequality. His mother’s upbringing, and thanks to his voracious reading habit, the influence of various authors, sowed the seeds of humanity and justice deep into his conscience.
A man of Christian faith, King went on to lead one of America’s most significant revolutions – to terminate the racial bias on the basis of skin colour – by adopting the legendary path of ‘passive-resistance’, Satyagraha. He followed the path of non-violence all through his life and thus, without raising a single weapon or firing a single bullet, King fought against thousands; and for this he was rightly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Despite several attempts to assassinate him by people on both sides of the colour divide, King remained steadfast in his mission of seeing his children living in a country where they would not be judged by the colour of their skin. Sadly, it was only after his death that this dream was realised. But what’s noteworthy is that the movement he initiated went on to the change the face of American history.
Today, on his birthday, let us remember him with the hope that peace and equality continue to triumph forever.
- Deep Trivedi
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