Martin Luther King Awards and Nobel Peace Prize
In recognition of his services and efforts for brining an end to racial discrimination and equality, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in1964. Along with this, the American Jewish Committee also presented King with the American Liberties Medallion for his "exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty." When he was presented with the award, Reverend King said in his acceptance, "Freedom is one thing. You have it all or you are not free."
Not only he is admired and appreciated as a fighter and savior of the blacks, he is also considered a saint among several Protestant churches, including the Episcopalian and Lutheran branches. According to a Gallup poll, King is the second most admired person of the 20th century. Also, king was voted as 6th in Person of the century poll by TIME.
Martin Luther King was not only awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize but he also won several others awards and honors. In 1965, he was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. This award was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that called upon all people of good will to ensure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris in Latin means 'Peace on Earth.'
For “his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the advancement of social justice and human dignity,” King was awarded with the Margaret Sanger Award by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1966. The Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights was presented by the Jamaican Government, posthumously to King after his death in 1968.
One of the reasons why King became so famous was his way of oration that had the ability to move people. Considering this, King was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording for his ‘Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam’ in 1971. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was posthumously awarded to King by Jimmy Carter in 1977. In appreciation of his efforts, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was also posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
All over United States, more than 730 cities have streets named after King, says a 2003 survey. In 2007 King County, Washington rededicated its name in his honor in 1986, and also changed its logo that is now an image of his face. A city government center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the only city hall in the United States that is named in his honor.
King was the third Greatest American of all time elected by the American public in a contest that was conducted by the Discovery Channel and AOL. This clearly shows the respect and admiration people had for him. Even though he had a short life and died very soon, yet with all his efforts and services, he was able to make a very special place in the heart and minds of not only Americans but people all over the world.
