His marches through the South in the time of "Jim Crow" were met with resistance and with discrimination, certainly. But these marches, and the resulting negative response to those Governors and law enforcement action, made the rest of the country, and the Kennedy Administration take notice.
By the summer of 1963, Rev King had raised awareness so much; and on August 28, he led over 200,000 people to March on Washington to protest racial discrimination in front of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Later that day, he was invited back to the White House to meet with President Kennedy, his advisors and various other leaders to discuss the next steps to be taken.
Ultimately, the outcomes of these talks resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Sadly, his life was cut short on April 4, 1968, seven month before his 40th birthday. But his legacy and message live on.
On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation to make Martin Luther King Birthday a federal holiday. The following January, many states began celebrating the third Monday in January in his honor, until by 2000, all fifty states joined in.
Today, we remember his struggles and honor his accomplishments. Happy Birthday, Dr King!
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