The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're here to tell you about the legacies that Dr. King left behind. Not only was Martin Luther King Jr. a revolutionary civil rights activist, but he can also be remembered for the powerful legacy of peace, non-violence, and love that he left behind. Here are some ways that Dr. King helped inspired the animals rights movement. 

His legacy of animal rights began with an arrest on June 18th, 1964. During a peaceful sit-in in St. Augustine, Florida, Dr. King was arrested. Due to death threats at the jail where he was detained, police officers secretly transported him to another jail, where the media found him and took a now-infamous photo of a peaceful Dr. King sitting in the back of a police cruise with a police dog. It's been thought that the police officers might have put the dog int he backseat with Dr. King in an attempt to intimidate him, but instead, King befriended the dog.

While Dr. King focused on the vital issue at hand during his time alive - civil rights - his family continued on his legacy by continuing to fight for the rights of African-Americans, women, the environment, and animals!

After he was assassinated, Coretta Scott King continued her husband's work by fighting for a number of causes. In the last decade of her life, Coretta was a proud vegan, for its environmental and nutritional benefits as well for the rights of animals. 

Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Dexter Scott King, also advocated for both a vegan lifestyle and for non-violence, which, of course, extends to animals. 

Over the years, many false quotations about animals rights have been attributed to Dr. King. While these quotes are inaccurate, Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of love, peace, and harmony can extend to humans and animals alike. 

So, as you think about your day off, remember why you have that day off! 

We'll leave you with a quote from Dr. King about love and fulfillment; a quote which could certainly apply to your bond with your furry family:

"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart."