Martin Luther King Jr. speaks after meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson to discuss civil rights at the White House in Washington, December 3, 1963. Library of Congress/Warren K. Leffler/Handout via REUTERS
(New York, NY) – On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader who changed America and the entire world. By advocating for a non-violent approach during the 1960s, Dr. King helped usher in an era of change and acceptance that ultimately culminated with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Station owner-operator John Catsimatidis reached out and asked that we feature a memorable cover from TIME Magazine. It chronicled the famous 1965 march in Selma, Alabama — where Archbishop Iakovos of America joined Dr. King. Facing down death threats, the Greek Archbishop defiantly marched, and called Dr. King “his friend.”
77 WABC has honored Dr. King with on-air discussion and coverage of events that have continued citywide. At the Brooklyn Academy of Music there were speeches, musical performances, and other events to mark the 40th such gathering celebrating Dr. King. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem hosted an event as well.
Despite it being close to 60 years since Dr. King’s assassination, his cultural impact endures. Nike is honoring the civil rights leader with a new sneaker, called the “Honor the King” version of its LeBron James 23 shoe. The shoe is colored a shade of teal that was taken from the exterior of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis — where King was killed by an assassin’s bullet in 1968. Today it houses the National Civil Rights Museum. The shoe has faced criticism online for its decision to use the motel’s color scheme, but a Nike spokesman noted design is subjective and the intent was to pay homage to Dr. King.
