Base observes MLK Jr. Day

Members of the United States Transportation Command Joint Service Color Guard meet with two Tuskegee Airman, Everett Bratcher and George Carper, during a luncheon. The luncheon honored Martin Luther King Jr. and his accomplishments. Martin Luther King Jr. was involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and gave several famous speeches including, the "I Have a Dream" and the "American Dream." (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kiana Brothers)

Base observes MLK Jr. Day

Chaplain (Maj.) Kenneth Johnson gives an invocation at a Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon Jan. 14. King was an pivitoal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. The theme for this year's celebration was, "Remember, Celebrate and Act; It is a Day on...Not a Day Off." (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Kiana Brothers)

Base observes MLK Jr. Day

Published Jan. 15, 2014
By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Scott Air Force Base honored the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tuesday with a luncheon at the Scott Club. The theme for this year's celebration was "Remember, celebrate and act; it is a day on ... not a day off."

Chief Master Sgt. Robert Dandridge, the master of ceremony at the luncheon, said, "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired millions around the world. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience and social change strategies."

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 20. Every year people remember the man who fought hard against racial segregation and inequalities.

King once said, "The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what's important."

King was an important figure and played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, he didn't just speak those words; he lived them. At the age of 14, King entered the Christian ministry and was ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. King also became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King was arrested 30 times for his participation in civil rights activities.

Throughout his life, he organized and led protests against racial segregation and economic injustice. King helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. It was during this event that he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

On Oct. 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting against racial inequality through nonviolence. Toward the end of his life, he expanded his focus to include poverty and the Vietnam War.

King was assassinated April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine motel in Memphis. He was in Memphis to help lead sanitation workers in a protest against low wages and intolerable working conditions. Following his death, many people rioted in numerous U.S. cities.

King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously. A memorial statue on the National Mall was opened to the public in 2011.