By Leeroy Francis Jr. |Sports editorMartin Luther King Jr. Day falls on the third Monday of every new year, and students across the country get to have this federal holiday dismissed from school year after year. Every year we remember and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and achievements as one of the most influential civil rights leaders in history. His various campaigns to end segregation and inequality helped shape the world Americans live in today.Born Jan.15, 1929, Michael King (he legally changed his name to Martin Luther King Jr. on July 23, 1957) was the face of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1930s through the 1960s.King Jr. most famous address to the American people was his "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, D.C., at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963. There King spoke to more than 250,000 people in attendance, passionately advocating change and displaying hope that a better America for all would one day be possible. His greatest line in the speech was when he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."Earlier, King had led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which he held that segregation on public transportation to be unconstitutional. King and thousands of citizens in Montgomery refused to ride the city's buses and instead walked to work and to shop.King was named the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which played a large role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Time magazine named King Man of the Year in 1963 for his efforts at bringing equality to America and the first African American recipient of the magazine's annual award. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the U.S. At 35 he was the youngest recipient of the award at the time on Oct. 14, 1964. King is the undoubted leader of African Americans and his name resonates with people of all races and ages even after his assassination on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 39.Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day to promote equal rights for all Americans. MLK Day is not just a day of remembrance; it is a day of service for many. Federal legislation encourages Americans to use the day of remembrance to contribute to their community, volunteer their time and do something for others just like Dr. King spent his life doing. Civil Rights Day in states like New Hampshire and Arizona or "Human Rights Day" in Idaho all are celebrated to promote equal rights for all.Here at Augusta University, we were no different. While we did receive MLK Day off from school, we did celebrate and remember the life and achievements of King on Friday, Jan. 18, at the Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre, hosted by all AU, Paine College and Augusta Technical College.At the celebration, Augusta University's SGA President LeDarius Scott spoke along with keynote speaker Monti Washington. Scott asked us to help remember Dr. King's legacy still matters today."The importance of continuing to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. starts off with us remembering that he was the cornerstone for inclusivity," Scott said. "In our current social and political climate, we need to constantly remind ourselves to rise above hate, and what better way to do that than celebrate the individual that led with love and compassion for others."The great value of life is being able to serve others unconditionally. The inspiration that Dr. King Jr. gave us is important to servant leadership. And, finally, we should all strive to emulate Dr. King Jr, because there is a new mountaintop that we must reach and, in order to do that, we must continue to climb and elevate ourselves past hate and bitterness."
So as we continue to celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. every third Monday in January, we shall remember his lifelong commitment to peace, love and inclusion for all. Regardless of our differences, we are all part of one race: The human race.In closing, Dr. King said: "Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Contact Leeroy Francis at lfrancis@augusta.edu