More than a half century after his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr.’s belief that peaceful protest can eliminate social injustice still challenges the world to live up to the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence – that all are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every year on the third Monday of January, the United States observes King’s birthday with a national day of service. The theme for this year’s observance was “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” Soldiers and civilian employees from U.S. Army NATO Brigade commemorated King’s life on Jan. 12 with an event that included a one-mile walk to honor the 1963 March on Washington lead by King to advocate for civil and economic rights for African-Americans. During this year’s walk, participants stopped along the way to hear presentations on three different aspects of King’s life and participation in the civil rights movement: the Poor People’s Campaign, the Give Us the Ballot Campaign, and King’s formative years.
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