Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern
era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern
and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements
and marches he led brought significant changes in the
fabric of American life through his courage and selfless
devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years
of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership
inspired men and women, young and old, in this nation
and around the world.
Dr.
King's concepts of "somebodiness," which symbolized
the celebration of human worth and the conquest of subjugation,
gave black and poor people hope and a sense of dignity.
His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his
strategies for rational and non-destructive social change,
galvanized the conscience of this nation and reordered
its priorities. His wisdom, his commitment, his actions,
his words, and his dream for a new way of life are intertwined
with the American experience.
