Daily Meditation for January 19, 2026

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a devout Baptist pastor, became a civil rights activist, humanitarian and leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. On October 14, 1964, Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. In 1963, at the March on Washington, Dr. King delivered his famous “I have a Dream” speech in which he outlined his dream for equality and for peace among all people. King’s short but influential life was ended by an assassin on April 4, 1968. King’s words and example of nonviolent civil disobedience based on Christian beliefs remain as a challenge for all of us who seek peace, unity and equality among all of God’s people.

By Joyce Iten, OSB