Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

From Bill Bennett's American Patriot's Almanac:

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, was one of the most gifted leaders the country has known. Never was that more evident than on a cold winter night in 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama. King had left his wife and baby at home to attend a meeting at a nearby church. As the meeting wound down, someone rushed in with terrible news: “Your house has been bombed.”

King raced home and saw that the bomb had exploded on his front porch. By now the house was full of people. He pushed his way inside and found his family safe.

Outside, however, trouble was stirring. An angry crowd was gathering and wanted revenge against whoever had done this. Several people carried guns and broken bottles. They hurled insults at arriving policemen. The situation was about to spin out of control. That’s when King stepped onto his porch.

Silence fell over the crowd.

King told them in a calm voice that his family was all right. “I want you to go home and put down your weapons,” he said. He told them violence would not solve their problems; it would only harm their cause. He reminded them of the teachings of the Bible: “We must meet hate with love.”

Then something remarkable happened. “Amen,” someone said. “God bless you,” others called. The crowd, which a moment ago had been on the verge of violence, began to drift apart. A night that had been heading toward chaos came to a quiet, if uneasy, close.

Dr. King spent his life meeting adversity with courage and love and reminding his fellow Americans that “we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” Good words to remember on this day.

Every day, Bill Bennett provides via email--for free--a reading from his American Patriot's Almanac. You’ll read about heroes, their achievements, and key events that took place “On This Day” in American history. Click here to subscribe.