Martin Luther King Essay

Throughout history, many great leaders have emerged and left a lasting impact on the communities they served. Perhaps one of the most powerful and memorable of those was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His legacy lives on today and is felt by those who enjoy the freedoms and rights he fought so hard to protect. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader who earned his place as one of the most remarkable and important leaders in American and world history. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr. He was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and was admitted to Morehouse College at the age of 15. Following his graduation from Morehouse in 1948, he entered

King taught people that sometimes we have to do things that are different and uncomfortable if we want things to change. Toren (2023) says, “King knew that his dream of equality (even when equality was not popular) was more important than the status quo.” Leaders have to think outside of the box and be willing to shake things up in order for real change to occur. Dr. King was not afraid to challenge himself or others to do things in a new way in order to create a change. According to Toren (2021), “King never accepted that just because things were a certain way, it made them the right way.” During Dr. King’s time, others were advocating for change by “any means necessary.” Dr. King was different because he promoted s strictly non-violent protest. “Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests, grassroots organizing, and civil disobedience to achieve seemingly-impossible goals,” (www.thekingcenter.org). One of the most important lessons Dr. King taught was that of communicating your dream. He stood in front of an audience of over 250,000 people and shared his dream. Sharing his dream with others was the only way to turn it into a reality. According to Toren (2023), “real leaders have big dreams, take big steps to communicate them and then they go take big

Dr. King fought hard to change society’s rules and everyone benefited from those changes. Leaders must be willing to shake things up and make people uncomfortable to promote positive change. Not everyone is receptive to change, but strong leaders have to ability to convince their followers to see that change is necessary and beneficial. Leaders need to be urgent in their work and refuse to settle. Great leaders know how to motivate and inspire others. A leader should never settle for less than the end goal. Dr. King could have given up when he was arrested 25 times, but he never did. He never settled and he kept on going, working toward his dream. He eventually made it to places he wanted to be. Great leaders know that perseverance pays off. Just as Dr. King acknowledged the trials and tribulations of his followers, today’s leaders need to acknowledge the sacrifices of their followers. People want and need to be recognized