Andrea Diaz

Reporter

Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day is an official statewide holiday that celebrates MLK’s life and accomplishments. This day is often associated with acts of service and is celebrated on every third Monday in January.

King lived from 1929-1968 and in this time he progressed and changed society for the better. He is a man of many great accomplishments, most famously for leading the fight for equality and rights to all people by helping end segregation and pushed for the signing of the Civil Rights Act.

King was most known for fighting for minorities to have equal rights, however a lot of people aren’t aware of his other notable accomplishments. “One of my favorite things about Doctor King is that he not only loved people of color, he was a massive advocate for the Jewish community as well. He truly was trying to seek reparation for them as well,” said Deja Bingham, an Idaho State University student who spoke at the university’s MLK Day Celebration. King was considered a great ally to the Jewish community and fought against antisemitism.

King was considered a radical during his lifetime and was arrested nearly 30 times. His ideals went against commonly held beliefs of people in the United States. “He fought against several church leaders, the Vietnam war, and tried very hard to educate people on how to better understand the economic system,” Bingham said.

There were many demonstrations and protests that King organized and was the leader of including: the Montgomery Bus Boycott, protesting segregation in an Atlanta department store and a campaign to end segregation, with many peaceful mass meetings, sit-ins and marches in Birmingham, Alabama.

According to Stanford University, during the campaign in Birmingham demonstrators were met with resistance from the police force at many peaceful protests and marches.

Commissioner of Public Safety, Bull Connor, for the city of Birmingham was largely responsible for the tactics used by law enforcement. Connor ordered law enforcement to disperse the protestors in any way possible so their solution was to spray them with fire hoses and let loose police dogs on the men, women, and even children.

According to Steven Levingston from the Washington Post, “To supercharge the water jets, firefighters had funneled the flow of two hoses into one nozzle, packing it with such ballistic fury it dislodged bricks from buildings. These jets were driven across the kids’ bodies, lacerating their flesh, tearing clothing off their backs; hitting the elm trees in nearby Kelly Ingram Park, the blasts ripped off the bark. The children, knocked to the pavement, crawled away; some struggled to their feet with bloody noses and gashes on their faces.”

According to Time Magazine, “Look at ’em run,” yelled Connor. He saw an officer holding back a crowd of white people nearby. “Let those people come to the corner, sergeant,” shouted Connor. “I want ’em to see the dogs work.

King was later assassinated on April 4, 1968, but the fight for equality never ended. “I feel MLK much like most of history, is watered down. They don’t get into the fact that he was considered radical, his ideas were outlandish to some. What he was fighting for was the reason he died,” said Bingham.

As a society we have come a long way, however there is still much work to be done. The deaths of many innocent Black people sparked the largest civil rights movement in history in 2020. The Black Lives Matter movement sparked nationwide attention and many protests and marches occurred to fight against the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and so many others. “We need to be real about the way Black people were treated in America,” Bingham said.

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day we as a society can educate ourselves on various topics relating to MLK and involve ourselves in acts of service. When asked about how to celebrate MLK Day, Bingham said, “Learn. Not just about him but many of the other civil right leaders. Learn about the people fighting against. Several members put on community events, and programs. Be kinder to others and stand up for what you believe in. Talk about how we can do better as a whole!”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly,” said King.

Martin Luther King Jr. Trivia

1. At what age did MLK start college?

2. How many times was MLK jailed?

3. How old was MLK when he won the Nobel Peace Prize?

4. What day was MLK Day first observed as a federal holiday?

5. At what church did King serve at as a pastor?

6. What was the name of MLK’s wife?

7. What year was MLK born?

8. What was MLK’s birth name?

9. How many children did MLK have?

10. What did MLK receive his doctorate degree in?

Find answers on Instagram @ISUBengal