5 Powerful People Inspired by Martin Luther King
Dr. King's speech for The March on Washington on August 28, 1963, just may be his most recognizable. What you may not know is that event organizers were greeted afterward by President John F. Kennedy at the White House. The demonstration included 250,000 people and helped to build momentum for two landmark pieces of legislation – the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
This exhilarating day ignited the Civil Rights Movement inspiring millions more than those who demonstrated in the nation's capital that summer. Dr. King urged them to:
"Go back to Mississippi,
go back to Alabama,
go back to South Carolina,
go back to Georgia,
go back to Louisiana,
go back to the slums
and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed."
True to his legacy of equality, Dr. King's passion touched people from all walks of life, from famous actors and politicians to scholars and everyday citizens.
Here are 5 people whose lives of activism and action were inspired by MLK:
Ineva May Pittman Photo by Elijah Baylis, The Clarion Ledger
1. Ineva May-Pittman, Mississippi Civil Rights activist and NAACP member who marched with Dr. King:
"I just felt–free. With all these people from all across the country and the world, of all ethnicities, together–no incidents or anything, and everybody was friendly toward each other…” Ineva May-Pittman remembers the March on Washington in the summer of ‘63.
“Why can't this be, you know, all the time? So we had to come back and double our determination to try to make it be. And we still workin' on it."
Teacher and Political Activist, Mrs. May-Pittman was a lifelong advocate for human rights and an active member of active member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, the Jackson State University Alumni Association, and the NAACP.
Frankye Adams JohnsonFrankye Adams Johnson's oral history interview conducted by Emilye Crosby in Jackson, Mississippi, 2015
2. Frankye Adams-Johnson, activist and teacher who marched with Dr. King:
Ms. Johnson remembers that the march was orderly and peaceful despite fears of possible violence. She was in awe of the crowd size - MLK’s March on Washington was the largest civil-rights demonstration America had ever seen. And then there were all the majestic buildings, the inspiring monuments.
And by far the most profound thing she heard was Dr. King's speech, ringing out over a sea of believers. And then she recalled gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who sang I've Been 'Buked and I've Been Scorned and is often credited with prompting Dr. King to go off-script and bring his dream to life.
"We were so charged up that some great transformation had occurred," Johnson said.
"I envisioned that our quality of life as an African-American people … would be better for more of us than the handful that it is. I don't want to put a damper on celebrating and commemorating. But I will just say there's still so much more we need to be fighting for."
Forest Whitaker Golden GlobesPhoto c/o Golden Globes
3. Forest Whitaker, actor:
"We followed him because he was holding your hope.
The hope that your life would be full and complete with equality."
American actor and director, Forest Whitaker is famous for his deeply nuanced character portrayals in films and television series. It makes no difference if he's playing a leading role or a more eccentric character. So it's no surprise that he earned the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland.
"There are few people in history who take that position that allows people to follow and change, who represent something powerful...He did it in this country and made people walk with him towards a better life. I think it's difficult for the next generation to see the things that happened before...So you have to continually, historically remind them and try to make them aware of what Martin Luther King was doing that we are all in this together. And that hope is alive today."
Barak ObamaPhoto by Library-of-Congress-Unsplash
4. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States:
"Dr. King was 26 when the Montgomery bus boycott began. He started small, rallying others who believed their efforts mattered, pressing on through challenges and doubts to change our world for the better A permanent inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing towards justice."
5. Stevie Wonder, along with 80 other iconic figures, and the youth of today:
In commemoration of Dr. King's assassination in Memphis in 1968, musician Stevie Wonder created a powerful tribute to Martin Luther King that called upon figures from Apple CEO Tim Cook and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to Serena Williams and Paul McCartney.
Most powerfully, Stevie posted, "On April 4, 1968 at 7:05 p.m. central time, Dr. King's life was cut tragically short. 50 years later a need for his dream to be fulfilled is far greater than ever..."
Then Wonder called for all Twitter users to post their dedications to Dr. King and how he continues to inspire today's generation.
"Share your dream & post your own #DreamStillLives video. Spread love...spread hope"
Meg Hanson is a Brooklyn-based writer, teacher, and jaywalker. Find Meg on her website and on Twitter @megsoyung.
8 Things You Didn't Know About Martin Luther King Jr.
But there's far more about Martin Luther King Jr. that isn't common knowledge. Here are a few things that have been forgotten over the course of history:
1. King was a strong supporter of democratic socialism.
During the 2016 election, Bernie Sanders brought the term "democratic socialism" to the forefront of American politics. But Martin Luther King Jr. openly supported the philosophy throughout his life. As a child, King saw the bread lines during the Great Depression. "I can see the effects of this early childhood experience on my present anti-capitalistic feelings," he wrote in 1950 while he was a divinity student. King saw capitalism as "a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes."
2. King's activism went far beyond the Civil Rights Movement.
He also protested the Vietnam War. In 1967, King delivered a speech entitled "Beyond Vietnam," in which he called for the United States to stop bombing in Vietnam. He also argued that American troops should be pulled out of the area and the U.S. should enter into a truce that would lead to peace talks. King viewed the American intervention in Vietnam as imperialism. He was staunchly anti-war and a pacifist.
3. It wasn't until the year 2000 that MLK Day was observed in every state.
While Martin Luther King Day became a federal holiday in 1986, not every state observed it until South Carolina was the final state to recognize the holiday in 2000. Because MLK Day is a federal holiday — not a national one — only federal employees received a paid day off. The holiday was met with resistance when it was first enacted because some felt King was too subversive to receive federal recognition.
4. King had numerous academic accomplishments.
Throughout his life, King's intellect shined in his writing and activism. As an adolescent, he skipped both the 9th and 12th grades. At 15, he entered Morehouse College and eventually received his Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boston University in 1955. He was awarded many honorary degrees — Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Humanities, and Doctor of Divinity.
5. Over 900 streets in the United States are named after Martin Luther King Jr.
After his assassination in 1968, many cities and states re-named streets in his honor. His name even graces streets in foreign countries. Forty states in America have at least one street named after King. Unfortunately, many of the streets in the U.S. with his namesake often struggle economically. These streets tend to have high levels of poverty and racial segregation in comparison to other streets in their respective cities.
6. He was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in America. At 35, he was the youngest person to ever receive the award. Alfred Nobel, for whom the award is named, described the recipient of the Peace Prize as "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
7. King was a fan of Star Trek.
The classic science fiction TV show first aired in 1966. Star Trek made an indelible mark on American pop culture and civil rights. The U.S.S. Enterprise crew was composed of various races and nationalities, including Lieutenant Uhura. Nichelle Nichols sought King's advice about whether she should leave the show after its first season. King encouraged her to stay on. He believed that the representation of an African-American woman in a position of leadership on the Starship Enterprise was too important.
8. He was TIME Magazine's first Black Man of the Year.
In 1963, TIME Magazine named King the Man of the Year. That was the same year King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of President Abraham Lincoln's memorial. The magazine cited King's essay "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and his leadership of many peaceful protests as justification for the accolade.