A lot of us know what today is, Martin Luther King Jr. Day!  Well, it's not his birthday (that was yesterday), just the official observed day. 

Over the years of celebrating it, I've learned little bits about Dr. King.  For example, did you know he based a lot of his protest style on Ghandi?  He also was followed and wire tapped because he had a friend who J. Edgar Hoover thought was a communist. He also survived being stabbed by a crazy lady with a letter opener, played the piano and the violin, knocked his brother out cold (when he was a kid) with a telephone, and almost got in trouble for not citing his sources right on his doctorate.  His wife went to school with Rod Serling and didn't really want to date a preacher, but he called her and convinced her to go on a date in his green Chevy.  They got married on the lawn of her parent's house.

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He wasn't just a guy who fought for the civil rights of African Americans. He worked on a lot of great causes - he fought against the Vietnam War, supported Native American causes, and was a huge advocate of people living in poverty (of all races).   One of his other big causes he fought for was equality in health care.  That's part of what the Poor People's Campaign (that he was planning before his death) was all about.  He felt like the government was wasting money in Vietnam that could be used to help people back home.  In fact, it's one of his many, many famous quotes:

"Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman."

He said that at a press conference in 1966.  At the time he was talking about hospitals complying with the Civil Rights Act, but you can probably see it applies to a lot of thought today.  That's why the Sedalia Chapter of the NAACP and the Burns Chapel Free Will Baptist Church will celebrate MLK day with the Katy Trail Community Health.  They're going to have a celebration with a speaker at the church (207 East Pettis Street) at 3:00 p.m. today with a speaker, Ron Tooley.  Then after, at 4:30, Katy Trail will provide flu and Covid vaccines.  So stop by, hear the talk, and if you don't have your jabs, you can get 'em done then.

Jabbingly yours,
Behka

LOOK: 50 essential civil rights speeches

Many of the speakers had a lifetime commitment to human rights, but one tried to silence an activist lobbying for voting rights, before later signing off on major civil rights legislation. Several fought for freedom for more than one oppressed group.

Keep reading to discover 50 essential civil rights speeches.

Gallery Credit: Karen Johanson

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