North Cook News

State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) on Jan. 14 pushed individuals to serve their communities through volunteer work to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Calls from Mazzochi were to honor King, who received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Civil Rights Movement at the age of 35, making him the youngest man to have received the award. He donated the prize money – over $50,000 – to further advance civil rights, according to Nobel.

“’This Monday is MLK Day," Mazzochi said in her Facebook post. "As part of the recognition of Dr. King’s legacy, people around the country volunteer in his honor. I’d encourage you to do so and you can find opportunities to get out and get involved in your community here: https://americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day.“ 

Rep. Deanna Mazzochi

History.com reports that King faced criticism for his non-violent approach when seeking change. Many young Black activists preferred a more aggressive approach to creating change. Malcolm X, a radical-leaning leader who was also assassinated in the 60s, called King's approach "criminal" as it encouraged the Black community to continue suffering from oppression.

King survived an assassination attempt in the fall of 1958 but continued to preach and practice non-violence. In April of 1968, King traveled to Memphis to support sanitation workers that were on strike. He was standing on the balcony of his hotel when he was assassinated on the evening of April 4th. He was 39, according to History.com.

NPR reports that King was a talented orator. One of his most famous speeches is the “I have a dream speech” which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August of 1963. In this speech, he famously said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”