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Pepperdine Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Pepperdine commemorated the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights hero, by observing the national holiday which honors his commitment to freedom, equality, and social justice, also celebrating his demonstration of Christian values. The Pepperdine community encouraged individuals to participate in local celebratory activities, which encourage reflection on past struggles and renew participants’ commitment to furthering equality for all.  

Copies of Dr. King's famous, Aug. 28, 1963, "I Have a Dream" speech were available in the atrium of the law school.

The celebration continued on Tuesday, Jan. 16, with a special program honoring Dr. King and his achievements. An excerpt from the "I Have a Dream" video was shown, and Dean Starr read selections from Dr. King's revolutionary "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," as well as his acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

At the age of thirty-five, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Upon learning he was selected, Dr. King announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

From 1957 through 1968, Dr. King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action. He was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees, and was named Man of the Year by TIME magazine in 1963. He became not only the symbolic leader of African Americans but also a respected world leader.

Facts taken from http://nobelprize.org.