Have you ever thought about why a guy named Martin Luther King Jr. became famous by saying something kinda like, “I have a dream?” Or ever wonder why we don’t have any school on that day he got assassinated? This guy was one of a kind type of person. Monday, January 21st, Martin Luther King Jr. was born. He was the one who said that he had a dream that one day, whites and blacks, will get along. I agree with this and I would, if I was African American, speak for my right to have an equal life. He inspired so many people that he changed history! Many schools across the country close just to honor Martin Luther King Jr. because we would like to honor his sacrifice that he gave to all of the people in the world why were against racism. He showed that no matter what color you are, even if you were purple, you would still have the right to vote, you would still have the right to speak for yourself and not let anyone treat you badly, but most importanly, you would still have the right to just be yourself and let people really know the true you- what’s on the inside. It doesn’t matter about the outside of your body and it doesn’t matter if you’re perfect, so what Martin Luther King did was prove that even though people may look different, they’re just like everyone else on the inside. Sure, they may like different foods, colors, and more, but they’re still human! So that’s what they deserve. The point is that now a days people try to be unique, and not like everyone else. But imagine if he didn’t give that certain speech on April 4, 1968? Where would we be today. Now there’s a scary thought, so we are so proud of celebrating this man of freeing our country from racism. This is what he said:

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed; ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day, even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”

“I have a dream that my four 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 have a dream today¼I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with the little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.”

So now you are probably asking something like so why don’t we have school on this day? Well, I’ll tell you why. If we where in school on Martin Luther King Day, then that wouldn’t be celebrating it. So, it’s kind of saying that if we have school on Martin Luther King Day, then why don’t we just have school on Christmas and all of the other holidays. It wouldn’t be fair to this guy who honored so many people and pretty much sacrificed his life to many people who didn’t have the freedom to much as other people would. Because of that, this is why we thank and appreciate all of the freedom that we’re allowed today and the risks that Martin Luther King Jr. had to face for all of us. Thank you Martin Luther King Jr.!

Picture by: mountainwomannc1