"I Have A Dream!"

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

It was 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke those stirring words, delivered appropriately from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. More than a quarter of a million people had marched on Washington DC in support of civil rights. Dr. King electrified the crowd with his "I have a dream" speech, one of the most significant speeches in American history.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. galvanized the American civil rights movement with his eloquence, determination and commitment to peace. A preacher's son, King held a degree in sociology and a PhD in theology. In 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, King was a young pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott that heralded the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Lasting 382 days, the boycott ended when the US Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation on public transportation.

Dr. King successfully practiced nonviolent civil disobedience to effect change. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 to harness the political clout of black churches in support of civil rights, desegregation, labor rights and the right to vote. Dr. King led the drive for black equality that led to passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965. On a dark day for our country, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee on April 4, 1968.

Dr. King was the youngest man -- only 35 at the time -- to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1986 his contribution to American history was honored with the establishment of a US holiday, only the fourth Federal holiday to honor an individual (the others being George Washington, Christopher Columbus and Jesus Christ), according to Wikipedia.

County Stamp Center stands with the nation in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to peace and equality for all. In celebration of Dr. King's contributions to world peace, in 2005 Ghana issued the 3-stamp portrait sheetlet shown above. (Click the post title to order.) County Stamp Center carries numerous stamps commemorating revered leaders and historic events. Visit our website and use our unique quick search feature to instantly find what you're looking for. Come to County Stamp Center for all your philatelic needs.