Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He entered college at 15, after skipping his first and last year at Booker T. Washington High School. After attending Morehouse College, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, while also studying at the University of Pennsylvania. King excelled at his studies and was influenced by Plato, Aristotle, Luther, Locke, Kant and Rousseau. How many of our students today read this kind of thought provoking literature today?! Education was important to MLK Jr. and it's important to Eagle Forum, our "E" is for education in the acronym, EAGLE. See our invite to our webinar coming up this Monday, Jan
King became the first African American student body president at Crozer and graduated at the top of his class with a with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951. King was inspired by the teachings of many past leaders including Gandhi. After being accepted at several colleges, including Yale, King earned his PhD in theology from Boston University in 1955.
King had other significant accomplishments. In 1964, he became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in America, and is still considered to be one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1983. Now, on the third Monday of January each year, the United States celebrates the birthday of King. In addition to King, only two other people have a national holiday observed in their honor: Christopher Columbus and George Washington. MLK Jr. has had schools, streets and much more named in his honor.
Let's reflect and remember his actions and ponder how our own actions can affect change. To quote King, “What are you doing for others?”
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