On Monday, students got a day off from school, the post office and bank were closed, and you likely saw some form of tribute to one of the most well-known Americans in history.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an annual opportunity to reflect on the message and the works done by Dr. King during his life. While there is no amount of words that could adequately convey the lasting impact of Dr. King, it’s important to remember his message.
And who better to say a few words that Dr. King would like us all to live by than the man himself. Here are a few excerpts from the writings of Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
• “One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong.”
• “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
• “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.”
• “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
• “Occasionally in life one develops a conviction so precious and meaningful that he will stand on it till the end.”
• “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
• “The time is always right to do what is right.”
Maybe that selection captured your favorite quote from Dr. King, or maybe there’s another that strikes a chord with you personally, but the message is clear, and perhaps best encapsulated by the final quotation.
No matter your age, socio-economic background, gender, political affiliation, or any other label that you choose to place on yourself (of have placed on you by others), doing the right thing, the honorable thing, the character building thing, is always in the best interest of us all.