(Baltimore, MD) – The NAACP honors the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the federal holiday celebrating his life and achievements. Dr. King is considered the formative figure in the modern fight for civil rights. He led numerous boycotts, marches and rallies in the 1950’s and 1960’s, including the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In 1957 Dr. King earned the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s most prestigious honor.
“Dr. King’s legacy looms large in the work of all those who follow him in his cause,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “Dr. King dedicated his life to fighting injustice in all forms. With that attitude, he grew a small social movement in Birmingham, Alabama into a national crusade that changed the course of our country’s history. His example reminds us how important it is to do what we can, no matter how small, to make the world a better place.”
“Dr. King’s crusade was deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the universal truths that unite the world’s great belief systems, and the American Dream,” stated President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “He was a man of vision, conviction, and courage. Just as his work was inspired by the NAACP, we are inspired by his example. We will finish his work to eliminate economic exploitation and racial injustice. As Dr. King reminds us in his Letter from a Birmingham jail, only in embracing fairness and opportunity for all can we ensure America will finally be America for all Americans.”
