Martin Luther King Jr. Days is always celebrated, the third Monday of January every year.

Martin Luther King is a day celebrated for the profound and significant impact he marked in the history of America. He gave his notorious “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.

He was a very important person during the civil rights movement, leading in a non-violent way.

Michael Sweet, a freshman at Greeley West,  said, “I think he opened a lot of people’s eyes; just because you skin is a different color doesn’t mean your a completely different person. I think he stopped a lot of people thinking from what their ancestors did.”

Sweet said his messages transcend race. “I think he opened up a whole lot of people’s eyes with his I Have a Dream speech, because I think a lot of people in that moment were thinking he is right. We all have beating hearts, we all have the same organs, we just come in different colors and shapes, and that’s not a bad thing that’s not supposed to be hated on,” Sweet added.

In comparison Michell Staut a counselor in the future center says, “ It depends on your viewpoint. I think as far as discrimination goes Martin Luther King Jr. did a good job in the right direction, tyring to end slavery and in the modern day things that are going on. But in the year 2020 there are still a lot of things that go on politically. So, yes to a point, but it depends where you draw the line.”

Although Martin Luther King Jr. is very important to the civil rights movement there were others like Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, even Ella Baker among many others. So have you ever thought why there wasn’t a day we celebrate these people? Sweet states, “Because Martin Luther King also brought in poetry. His speech wasn’t just necessarily a speech it was more of a poem. More of this is how I feel just in different writing. Then just saying I want my son to be able to play with other white boys or I want my daughter to be able to date any race she wants. That was a huge thing and a lot of his other quotes were poetry and were very inspiring of how he felt in different ways to write it.”