Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the

United States observed on the third Monday of January

each year.  MLK was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent

activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial

discrimination in federal and state law and civil society.

This year, the holiday falls on January 20, 2025.

Another book for Black History Month

Beginning

The question "What is man?" is one of the most important questions confronting any generation.  The whole political, social, and economic structure of a society is largely determined by its answer to this pressing question.

The Measure of a Man ~ by Martin Luther King Jr., 2001, nonfiction, 56 pages

These two meditations contain the theological roots of MLK's political and social philosophy of nonviolent activism.  In supporting reconciliation, Dr. King outlines human worth based on scripture, encouraging the reader to know each person has worth, rational ability, and an invitation to fellowship with the Creator.  In addition, he explains the three dimensions of life (length, breadth, and height) must all be present and working harmoniously in order for life to be complete as an individual and as a community.  Black and white photos from Dr. King's life and one of his simple prayers round out this short book.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.

When MLK became a leader

For Black History Month, here's an article about how Martin Luther King, Jr. became a leader and gave a great speech without much, if any, time to prepare what he would say.  The article is really very much worth reading.

Freedom to vote ~ theme for February 2020

This year's theme for Black History month is "African Americans and the Vote."  2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) which gave black men the right to vote following the Civil War.  In this important voting year, Martin Luther King, Jr. gives us something more to think about:

"The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live.  Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power.  We have guided missiles and misguided men."  ~~~ MLK