Fun fact you may not have heard about Martin Luther King Jr from History.com
King’s Birth Name Was Michael, Not Martin
King was born Michael King Jr. on January 15, 1929. In 1934, however, his father, a pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, traveled to Germany and became inspired by the Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. As a result, King Sr. changed his own name as well as that of his five-year-old son.
In 8th grade, I was a fan of Martin Luther and it inspired me how he reformed the church. I wrote a paper on him and was actually motivated to write it, which was rare. It makes me wonder, though what’s in a name? Martin Luther King Jr reformed an entire nation just as the man he was named after. I wonder if things would be the same if Martin Luther King Sr had never changed his and his son’s name.
My name means helper of mankind. I wonder if that will have anything to do with my legacy? I suppose I’d have to make that my legacy if that’s what I wanted. I know Martin Luther King Jr didn’t just happen across his legacy. He worked hard everyday leading, organizing, and sacrificing his own safety to make change. We can’t give all the credit of his hard work to his name, can we?
Either way, I’m forever grateful for the sacrifices that Martin Luther King Jr and his family made to support the black community.
Jayne.press 