Yesterday was his 83rd birthday.  In school, most of us read the edited half-version of this speech.  If you have never seen the full 17 minute version, I recommend that you take some time to do so now.  Pay special attention to what happens about 11 minutes into the speech: he stops looking at his notes.

He wasn’t martyred for being a nice guy and singing ‘Kumbaya’.  He was an agitator for equality who shook the powers in their high places.  He is still singing ‘We Shall Overcome’.