PHOTOS: Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. remembered

Posted: Jan 18, 2021 / 02:07 PM MST / Updated: Jan 18, 2021 / 06:20 PM MST

FILE – In this Aug. 28, 1963 file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The annual celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in his hometown in Atlanta is calling for renewed dedication to nonviolence following a turbulent year. The slain civil rights leader’s daughter, the Rev. Bernice King, said in an online church service Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, that physical violence and hateful speech are “out of control” in the aftermath of a divisive election followed by a deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/File)

NATIONAL (KRQE) – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January each year and recognizes the life of the iconic Civil Rights leader. King Jr. served as a pastor and according to his Nobel Prize biography, around 1954 was a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

King Jr. participated in countless Civil Rights movements including the bus boycott of 1955 while also traveling to appear where there were protests and calls of injustice. During a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, King Jr. gained worldwide attention calling for the registration of Negro voters.

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his infamous address “I Have a Dream” in Washington, D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. At age 35 King Jr. became the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis Tennessee where he was scheduled to lead a protest march.

According to AmeriCorps, MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service and encourages Americans to volunteer in an effort to support and improve their communities.