thank you dr king jr

January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
Born Michael Luther King, Jr.
Co-Pastor @ Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta
Graduated segregated high school @ 15
BA Degree in 1948 from Morehouse College GA
3 years spent @ Crozer Theological Seminary in PA
Completed Doctorate in 1953 @ Boston University
Pastor @ Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Alabama
Member of NAACP
The Bus Boycott lasted 382 days, Dec 21 1956 the Supreme Court declared unconsitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses
during the boycott King was unjustly arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse
1957 elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
1957-1968 traveled over 6 million miles and spoke over 25 thousand times
Wrote 5 books and numerous articles including "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"
Directed peaceful march on DC with 250,000 people whom he delivered his address, "I Have a Dream"
Arrested in the high twenties and assualted at least four times
Awarded 5 honorary degrees
Named "Man of the Year" by Time magazine 1963
@ 35 MLK Jr was the younges man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, he turned over the $54,123 prize money to the futherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1958, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennesee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

the above information was found here


so its interesting to me that to honor MLK Jr the nation takes a day off to sleep in, pick up an extra shift, do some yardwork, read a book, go to the beach, go to the park, watch tv, play video games ETC... have you also noticed the crazy amount of basketball tournaments around the nation associated with MLK day? I know there's an annual one at the Key Arena in Seattle - and we hosted a National Junior Basketball tournament here at HIU - im sure there's more. I can remember in high school there was a campaign going around: "MLK: a day ON"... for me it was always "no school- yEAh -, but be at the gym for bball practice at 11- boo". I'm pretty sure if classes had started already here at HIU we wouldn't get the day off - I don't think we recognize national holidays as far as cancelling classes, at least not all of them. I cancelled tomorrow's soccer practice - only because Varsity wasn't practicing and the practice was never scheduled in the first place - and coach Shawver cancelled Softball... that was just coincidental, because the fields are being worked on. So tomorrow is definitely a day off for me... I don't work @ PJ's either HOW SWEET IS THAT?? The point is: I get all excited about my upcoming lazy day and that is the appreciation I am beginning to associate with Dr Martin Luther King Jr - not for his civil rights movement and social justice efforts, but for the fact that I get to sit on my bum all day if I really wanted to... and I fear that society is falling headlong down the same steep lazy day path with me. So what are we going to do about it?? well I rented a couple movies, went to the grocery store and bought some goodies and set a date with my couch and my tv, later I might hit up some of the finals at the bball tournament and then reunite with the couch for an encore... sounds like a plan to me. Thank you Dr. King Jr.



below is a picture of the california sky near sunset taken by a hope student in our courtyard here on campus... sweet, huh?