Reflecting On Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I reflect on a speech of his that I find inspirational. This year, I chose "Our God is Marching On." This speech was given after demonstrators that he led finally crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. There were three marches for voting rights that month, the first was "Bloody Sunday" where protestors met violent guards who beat over 60 of them, including John Lewis, who later became a Congressman. Dr. King led protesters across the bridge to the Capitol to demand voting rights on March 25th, 1965. The speech is inspiring for today because Dr. King is clear that the road to success is going to be long, there will be obstacles, but that justice and righteousness will win the day. I fear that our rights are being rolled back by this federal administration that people fought so hard for. Dr. King's speech reminds us to keep going, go to the ballot box, and not give up on hope. Here is the written speech, and it's very powerful to read while listening to the speech at the link here. NPR compiled a list of additional speeches here.