Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prominent political leader and activist, participating in the Civil Rights Movement until his assasination in 1968. King cultivated a connection with young people of his time and helped shape the youth activism movement present today. The United States of America commemorates King’s sacrifice and diligence annually on the third Monday of January, falling this year on January 20.
King’s passion to combat injustice didn’t sprout from nowhere; he grew up surrounded by other empowered leaders. According to a website about social justice and civil rights, “King was heavily influenced by his father, a church pastor, who King saw stand up to segregation in his daily life. In 1936, King’s father also led a march of several hundred African Americans to Atlanta’s city hall to protest voting rights discrimination” (naacp.org). King gave back to his community in many ways including nurturing the intergenerational wisdom and strength needed to sustain the fight for freedom and equality as he had witnessed from the leaders that preceded him.
In King’s time, he led revolutionary movements and carried on the torch of justice. According to Britannica, “[King] organized a number of peaceful protests as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, including the March on Washington in 1963. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and, at the time, he was the youngest person to have done so” (britannica.com). King’s accomplishments weren’t just trophies on a shelf collecting dust, they were movements of change that impacted the lives of the African American community.
When the youth of the current generation become educated on King’s accomplishments, they naturally become motivated to preserve his legacy and develop a genuine passion. Black Student Union Vice-President Senior Sarah Gharagozlou said, “Dr. King’s message of moral responsibility is definitely the most relevant in my life. Dr. King believed that people must challenge injustice and fight for equality even if it meant breaking laws. I believe that in our modern day society, it’s important to keep our values even if they don’t coexist with how our society works.” Gharagozlou passionately spoke about the injustices that we have witnessed in our own country and our government’s role in international wars and expressed her appreciation for when King said, “I knew I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghetto without first having spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today, my own government.” King ensured his voice was heard by the world and sought to acquire justice and guarantee accountability for all, and the impact created from these actions are still influential thus far.
In the present day, the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for equality is heavily impacted by the Civil Rights Movement and King’s involvement. Gharagozlou said, “Through advocating for equality, spreading the ideas of Black Lives Matter, and using social media to amplify positive changes, many youth of today carry on Dr. King’s vision. A good example would be 19-year-old Anya Dillard, a human rights and social justice activist. She is also the founder of ‘The Next Gen Come Up,’ an organization that promotes the fight for social justice through art and content creation. This nonviolent approach greatly reminds ua of Dr. King’s famous efforts.” Youth in the present day have taken inspiration from King’s endeavors and become the trailblazing leaders of this generation.
The combat against injustice and the path towards peace is forever ongoing and the commemoration of the leaders that preceded us serves as a reminder of the struggle and oppression rooted in our history and the importance of youth engagement in activism and advocacy spaces. Black Student Union President Junior Nikki Godwin said, “BSU will honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by celebrating his life and legacy. We will highlight his significant accomplishments in the Civil Rights Movement and his lasting impact on Black Americans. This celebration serves as a reminder of his dedication to equality and justice for all. We will play clips of documentaries highlighting the importance of activism in this time period as well as educate students on the necessity of equality and how it affects us today.”