By Chitara Ellis, Contributing Writer/Editor

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 NIV

What would you think of a man who was arrested 29 times? 

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested 29 times, assaulted four times and had his house bombed—yet he continued his nonviolent fight for civil rights until his assassination. He never lost sight of his principles or gave up on his dream of equality. Today, he is celebrated as a hero, but during his active years, he was known as a troublemaker and regarded as an enemy of the state by the FBI.

Nothing worth fighting for comes easy. There will always be setbacks, pushbacks and attacks. King’s home was bombed while he was leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He continued the boycott until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public transportation was illegal. While he was sitting in jail for protesting segregation at lunch counters in Birmingham, Alabama, he wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” which gives us the famous line, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Even behind bars, King continued to share his philosophy on justice and nonviolence—not allowing the opposition he faced to hinder the movement he helped lead.

When we look back at the black-and-white photos of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, we assume it all happened a long time ago, but it didn’t “end” on record until 1968—a little over 50 years ago. As we can see from current events, there is still much work to be done for civil and human rights in the United States and beyond. The amount of work that needs to be done may seem daunting, but it is necessary work. We should continue speaking out against injustice and standing up to oppression in the hope that one day all of our collective hard work will pay off because we did not give up.  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than a day off from school and work. Celebrate this day by recommitting your heart, time and strength toward causes that move you, whether those are poverty alleviation, racial equality, veterans’ rights or human trafficking. Whatever you feel led to take on, take King’s example by not giving up. Do not become weary in doing what is good.