Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Our lives begin to end
the day we become silent about things that matter. -Martin
Luther King Jr. Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, also
known as MLK Day of Service. Every third Monday in January we
celebrate King’s work and teachings as one of our nations most
powerful and inspiring civil rights leaders. King believed in
freedom and equality for all and he spread his message through
grassroots efforts, compelling speeches and nonviolent protests,
like the well known Montgomery Bus Boycott. His famous “I have a
dream” speech that he gave during the March on Washington, which
was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century, had a
direct impact on the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Leading up
to his assassination, King also focused his time and energy on
issues related to poverty and international conflict. During his
thirteen years as a civil rights leader and activist, he
encouraged people to get involved and make a difference through
non-violent efforts.