Celebrating the Life and Legacy of a Leader Who Changed the Course of History

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Dr. King was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement.

He advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through the use of nonviolent resistance and nonviolent civil disobedience.

Dr. King spoke at Ohio Northern University in Ada on January 11, 1968.

During the speech, he gave an assessment of the cause, “We have come a long, long way, but we have a long, long way to go before the problem of racial injustice is solved in our nation.”

Just under 3 months later on April 4, King was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Atlanta.

Congress established Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983, and the first nationwide observance took place in 1986.

Legislation for the holiday had been introduced in Congress in 1968, but opponents blocked its passage.

For a full transcript of his speech in Ada, please visit Ohio Northern University’s website by clicking here.