Throughout history many men and women have stepped up to play the role of invaluable leaders. One of these such leaders was Martin Luther King, Jr. Though he faced many struggles throughout his life, he would eventually become remembered as a legacy of racial equality.

Monday, Jan. 21, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The day of the year set aside to remember this American hero’s legacy. Many events will take place this day to honor King. These include the Martin Luther King Jr. community breakfast, which will be held from 9-11 a.m. at the Clovis Memorial Building on 453 Hughes Ave.. Tickets for this will be $5 per person, with a donation of one canned food item at the door. Also, the Boys and Girls Club of the Sequoias March will take place Monday at 10 a.m.. Participants will start at 215 W. Tulare Ave., Visalia, and walk to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

Students will receive the day off from school, making it the first three-day weekend of the new semester. As the extra day of rest is the main focus for students, some like to remember the reason behind the holiday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. King was born the son of a minister and grew up in the church. He would later lead one of the most powerful civil rights movements in history. Chris Kollenkark, ’16, explained what Martin’s accomplishments meant to them.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great guy,” Kollenkark said. “His accomplishments in the area of racial equality were very large. He was an amazing man and one of my heroes.”

King graduated from Morehouse College after receiving the B.A. degree, and later receive degrees from Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University.

When King was only 35 years old, he received the noble prize. He was the youngest person to ever receive the noble prize. When Martin found out that he was nominated for the prize, he announced that he would use the $54,123 of prize money to further the civil rights movement. Rees Roggenstein, ’16, finds this decision very noble.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very powerful equal right activist,” Roggenstein said. “I think the fact he decided to donate all the money awarded to him to further his movement speaks volumes about his character. It just goes to show that his heart had great intentions.”

Kevin Garcha, ’16, appreciates the honor that the community gives to an American hero such as King.

“It’s great that our city still comes together to honor Mr. King,” Garcha said. “He was an amazing man, and his words of racial equality are still heard today. His achievements should never go unnoticed.”

For more news, read the Jan. 15 article, BRIEF: Aptitude test to be administered, Jan. 23.