Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Remembering The Civil Rights Leader [Video]

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Today the nation pays tribute to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A man who dedicated his life to the civil rights struggle.

In a time where African Americans were widely discriminated against and the victims of violent acts by the police and racist organizations, King preached non violence and gave hope that one day all men and women would be treated equally.

Dr. King was a minister, humanitarian and activist. In 1957 he helped found and was President of the civil rights organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He also led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a campaign to fight against the segregated public transit system in Montgomery, Alabama, that called for black to sit at the back of the bus and give up their seats for whites.

In 1963 King helped lead the The Great March on Washington where he delivered his seminal "I Have a Dream" speech. The event drew a crowd of both black and white citizens estimated at 300,000.

Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964, for his tireless work against segregation and inequality through non violence.

He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, but his legacy still lives on. He will be remembered across the country today with parades, marches, service projects and a speech by Harry Belafonte for the 28th annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium at the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1986.

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