In the summer heat of 1963, a quarter of a million people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, for one of the largest demonstrations in our history. Segregation still dictated where people could live, learn, vote, and work; the nation simmered with tension—and the world was watching. At that moment, Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped forward, a Baptist minister and the strategic heart of the civil rights movement. He fought injustice with discipline, clarity, and nonviolent resolve, delivering a vision that reshaped the nation's imagination: a future where freedom was real, dignity was universal, and justice extended to all.

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on the third Monday of January. The holiday honors his birth and the impact of his work, from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Selma marches. These victories challenged legalized discrimination and paved the way for landmark civil rights legislation. The day is both a tribute and a call to action: progress must be relentlessly built, protected, and pushed forward—and King's legacy urges every generation to push the nation closer to the dream he dared to dream aloud.