While students enjoy a day without school and government offices close, Monday, January 16 marks the celebration of the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929, King worked diligently for civil rights in the United States. Through his work as a Baptist minister and as leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King played a leading role in ending legal segregation.
Delivered at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech went down in history as one of the greatest demonstrations for freedom in the history of the nation, just as he said it would during his speech.
As King stated, “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.”
In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, honoring his efforts for freedom.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.
The Sandersville City Council meeting originally scheduled for Monday, January 16 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 17 due to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.