One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) was an American Christian minister and civil rights activist who led one of the greatest nonviolent movements in world history to attain legal equality for African Americans in the United States. Drawing on both his Christian faith and the nonviolent philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King is widely regarded as a preeminent spokesperson for nonviolent activism. His “I Have a Dream” speech is among the most recognized and revered orations in the English language.