Today is a federal holiday to honor the memory of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. As I sometimes do, I thought today would be a good day to both reflect on King's life and what he stood for, while reading some of his own words.

King did much more than give one memorable "I Have A Dream" speech, but sadly that's what he has been distilled down to in our national collective consciousness. King fought valiantly for what he believed, always using the tool of non-violence to convince others of the rightness of his cause.

Because of his exemplary work, in 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This enraged some in America (J. Edgar Hoover among them), but to King he felt the honor was somewhat undeserved. At the time, he was the youngest recipient of the award ever (he was only 35 years old). In the speech he gave in Oslo accepting the award, he was almost apologetic: "Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize." Because King knew there was a lot more for him to achieve, he felt the award was somewhat premature, at best.

So he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in a selfless manner, for a broader principle that was much bigger than just one man: "After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time -- the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts."

As always, choosing what words of King's to highlight on his namesake holiday is a very hard thing to do. Out of the tens of thousands of words that are available, I always try to focus on some that maybe people haven't read before. But I would encourage people to visit a site from a local university (California State University Monterey Bay) where you can choose from eleven of his most profound speeches, without getting too overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his legacy.

After reading and re-reading many of these speeches, this is the short passage I chose for the current moment in time.

Excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

December 10, 1964 -- Oslo, Norway

 

I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "is-ness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "ought-ness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the bloodflowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down other-centered men can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that we shall overcome!

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

-- Chris Weigant

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant