Celebrating The King in The New Decade

Celebrating the King in the new decade to commemorate a hero of social justice takes on an urgency and a renewed energy in 2020. Today the world celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 52 years after his violent assassination at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, TN.

In honor of MLK Day, we rewind what Socially Sparked our lives during the 50th Anniversary of his violent death with an excerpt from our 2018 feature.

MLK50: A Legacy Remembered opens at the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) on April 4 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary commemoration of Dr. King’s tragic death. Featuring over 150 photographs including rare photos, documents and other items, the exhibition surveys the historic reaction to his death while also examining the continued impact of his legacy on people and events throughout the world.

Focusing on his last year, the exhibition emphasizes rarely examined aspects of King’s social justice agenda by comparing contemporary events.

“We want to not only show the aftermath of those events but also illustrate King’s influence on everything from modern social justice movements to politics to pop culture in the years since then. From Elvis to President Obama, Nichelle Nichols to Black Lives Matter, Dr. King’s legacy has had a lasting impact on our society and culture.” — aid Noelle Trent, NCRM’s Director of Interpretation, Collections & Education

For 2020’s MLK Day, the National Civil Rights Museum will remember the life and legacy of one of the most prolific humanitarians and leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement with an all-day celebration and free admission.  The focus of the celebration is community service and social justice in honor of Dr. King’s impact on the global society.

Dr. King’s aptly titled final book Where Do We Go From Here has a new answer 50 years later. Initially posed to address his lifelong activism for civil rights, equality and peace, the next generation of leaders is answering his question with the birth of the largest anti-gun violence movement in United States history – Enough is Enough.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Socially Sparked® our lives. He leaves a lasting legacy that continues today with an energetic resurgence. A hero to millions in the fight for civil rights, racial equality and peace, today we take pause to celebrate Martin Luther King Day! — Abbe is Socially Sparked! Tweet @sosparkednews & @asparks01