As Black History Month approaches, we begin to ponder all of the influential people who have gained us our freedoms and how we can continue to exercise those freedoms today.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a symbolic leader who assisted in gaining us these freedoms.

He was born Jan. 15, 1929, and died April 4, 1968.

Throughout his lifetime he had a vast number of accomplishments, many of which still we enjoy today.

Senior Jada Brown enjoys these accomplishments with her family.

Because of the actions of King, she is able to bring all of her family together.

“If it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t be here because I am (of) mixed (race),” Brown said.

King’s major achievements, such as leading the Montgomery bus boycott, founding SCLC, leading the Birmingham Campaign, and delivering his famous “I have a dream” speech continue to inspire us today to also expand on our own dreams.

One way we can feel this inspiration is by looking at how he attained his goals.

It is clear that King had to fight hard for all he accomplished, but the way he fought was a bit different than others; he used peaceful protesting to spread his influential message.

“I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek,” King wrote in “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which he wrote in 1963 while serving a 10-day jail sentence.

He believed that nonviolence was the most efficient way to end racism and the division of men.

King was inspired to use nonviolence by Gandhi, who advocated against racial discrimination in India by using this technique.

Today we can admire King’s nonviolence movement and continue to instill it in our lives.

He showed us that no matter how difficult situations may become, violence is not the answer to our problems.

King was able to overcome great obstacles, while still remaining nonviolent.

Another way King continues to influence us is through his courage.

As the voice of the civil rights movement, he had to fight hard.

During King’s time, he was going against the majority of society to stand up for those that were being oppressed.

Jim Crow Laws, which deepened segregation between whites and blacks, were active during the majority of King’s lifetime.

This made it increasingly difficult for him, but did not cause him to give up.

It took such great courage for King to risk his life by speaking up for an entire community of people.

His actions of bravery show us today that it is important to stand up and speak for what you believe in.

The great movements that he began can encourage us to continue to fight for our rights.

With the help of King and many other historical figures we have come great distances, yet there are still hurdles we must conquer in order for ourselves and others to become truly free.

But with the actions and words of King behind us, we are able to build our own dreams and our futures.