Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated annually on the third Monday in January, is a day to honor the achievements and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). Titled as a national day of service, it encourages Americans to help strengthen and improve their communities. The holiday also serves as an opportunity to educate others and address social problems while moving us closer to his vision of a beloved community.

MLK was widely known for his speeches, marches, and non-violent protests throughout the 1950s and ’60s. He dedicated his life to fighting for racial equality including black people’s right to vote, desegregation, and labor rights. Despite fighting for a good cause, people still physically attacked him and put him in jail. King continued to stand up for what he believed in and a year later won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35, making him the youngest man to receive this award. Eventually, in 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed and segregation was no longer legal. Sadly, in 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in a motel where he had been to help sanitation workers go on strike.

Even after his death, even currently, people continue to fight as he did for racial equality and create stronger, more united communities.