Today we celebrate Dr Martin Luther King Jr, who was born on 1/15/29 and assassinated on 4/4/68, at the age of 39-years old. This image is of a 36-year old, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, along with his fellow advocates & civil rights workers, following their arrest, on 2/1/65, during a peaceful protest at the Dallas County Courthouse, in Selma, Alabama, where they advocated for African American voting rights. About 250 people were arrested that day for "parading without a permit," during a non-violent protest.

This was 1965, the 100th year following the Confederate forces surrendering to the Union Army ending the Civil War. It was 100 years after Frederick Douglas, former slave & human rights activist, said: "Slavery is not abolished until the Black man has the ballot." Also, it was the year the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law.

MLK was deeply inspired and influenced by Jesus and Gandhi through their acts of compassion, tolerance, non-violence, and forgiveness. These courageous and compassionate parts of Jesus, Gandhi, & MLK, ignited the intolerance of some who were threatened by what they witnessed - these persons living with an open heart, their true self - and as a result murdered because of their faith, using their voice, and sacrifices made for other people.

”Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.” ~MLK