Father. Minister. Civil rights activist. Nobel Peace Prize Recipient. Leader.

These are all positions the late, but never forgotten, Martin Luther King Jr. held during his lifetime, which was cut much too short. King helped shape race relations in the United States during a time when tensions between people of different color skin was high. He was highly educated at Boston University, Morehouse College, and a Crozer Theological Seminary. His intellect shines through, and can be seen in his inspirational speeches that inspired millions to take actions against injustices in society. He is most famous for his "I Have a Dream" speech, in a call to end racism during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

With King's influence, legal racial segregation came to an end. He also helped have the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 get passed. The Civil Rights Act not only ended segregation in public places, but banned job discrimination against minorities. This act is considered as one of the greatest achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. The Voting Rights Act helped African Americans overcome measures put into place to stop them from voting in state and local elections, as determined by the fifteenth amendment. Times have certainly changed from the fight to just allow African Americans to vote in certain elections, now, as shown President Barack Obama, African Americans can now be those people that are voted for those high up positions that only fifty years ago, many African Americans had no say in.

As someone who promoted peace, his life was cut short at only thirty-nine years old due to an assassination. Each year, Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in January. Many enjoy just having a day off, but remember the ultimate sacrifice one man made, in hopes of making a difference.