Martin Luther King day – celebrates the birthday of one of the most famous leaders of the civil rights movement of the 20th century. He is well known for the advancement of civil rights in the United States via nonviolent protests and civil disobedience.

But why does this public figure get a whole Federal Holiday all to his name? What did he do to deserve such a huge honor? Nerdify, is happy to shed some light on this 🙂

First, some facts from King’s early life (being all Nerdy as usual):

* Martin L. King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.

* He graduated from Morehouse (in 1948) with a B.A. in sociology and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a B.Div. degree in 1951.

* King received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955 (he was 26).

And this is where the fun begins, this is when King got involved in organizing large protests to oppose the racial inequality that was widespread in the USA in the middle of 20th century.

It all started with Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 when a young black girl refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. The boycott lasted for 385 days! King’s energy and resolve made him a national hero for the African-American community, who saw a leader they could unite around to fight for equal rights.

In 1957, King and other social activists formed a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to fight racial inequality and advance civil rights reforms in the US.

His struggle eventually lead to the massive March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered the world-wide famous speech – “I have a dream”.

We would like to quote a small part of the speech (because it’s so incredible):

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American 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.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

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.”

Why did King organize all these rallies across the country? How exactly was King planning on delivering a decisive blow on inequality in the United States? Wikipedia provides the best answer:

“King believed that organized, nonviolent protest against the system of southern segregation known as Jim Crow laws would lead to extensive media coverage of the struggle for black equality and voting rights. Journalistic accounts and televised footage of the daily deprivation and indignities suffered by Southern blacks, and of segregationist violence and harassment of civil rights workers and marchers, produced a wave of sympathetic public opinion that convinced the majority of Americans that the civil rights movement was the most important issue in American politics in the early 1960s.”

And he was absolutely right:

“King’s main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the U.S. Just days after King’s death, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Title VIII of the Act, commonly known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibited discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions on the basis of race, religion, or national origin (later expanded to include sex, familial status, and disability). This legislation was seen as a tribute to King’s struggle in his final years to combat residential discrimination in the U.S.”

In a nutshell – this is it -> Martin Luther King was instrumental in advancing civil rights reform and has dramatically improved racial equality in the United States by pushing the authorities to pass Civil Rights Act of 1968.

We don’t want to stop here because King’s life is full of incredible fact that we’d like to share:

* He was the youngest person at the time to receive a Nobel Peace Prize (he was just 35!)

* During his career as a social activist, he traveled more than six million miles (that’s about 10 “trips” to the Moon and back!)

* He was arrested 29 times and FBI was tapping his phone, pretty much since the beginning of his career in 1955.

* He is the first African-American to be named Man of the Year by Time magazine

* King was almost killed ten years before his death (a crazy woman stabbed him with a knife in his heart during his book signing event in Harlem).

* There are almost a thousand streets named after Martin Luther King (after King’s assassination, cities across the nation began naming streets after King, to cement his legacy and achievements).

Martin Luther King fought incredibly hard (eventually giving his life to the cause) to end inequality in the United States. Giving the fact that half a century later the USA would elect it’s first African-American President (and a damn good one), we think he would be proud of his accomplishments 🙂

College has the potential to be one of the most unique and exciting periods of your life. Whether you’ve just started college or you’re planning on attending college in the near future, you now have the opportunity to make the most of this experience.

Attending college and taking the experience seriously can also be lucrative. Nerdify reviews experts studied data indicating college graduates often earn more than those who only graduate high school over the course of a lifetime.

The following 4 tips from Nerdify reviews team will help you achieve the goal of optimizing your college years. To take full advantage of all that college has to offer, you should:

1. Prioritize academics

Movies and TV shows about college often focus on depicting the social aspects of student life. This can result in some students forgetting that the social element of college is secondary to academics. While college certainly offers students the chance to make friends (a topic this very blog will touch on further down), it’s important to keep in mind that the real purpose of college is to equip you with a degree and education so that you may have a successful career. Reddit threads featuring tips for new college students tend to focus on the importance of studying and attending class for a reason: college graduates know this is critical.

Don’t squander college by focusing so much on partying and having fun that you never actually receive the education and training you’re paying for. At all times, your academic performance should be your top priority. This means along with going to class and completing your assignments, you must take all other necessary steps to optimize your performance academically, such as getting enough sleep, eating right, and trying your best to stay healthy in general.

It’s also worth noting that Nerdify reviews experts found research showing that partying on and around college campuses is becoming less popular than it once was. Focusing on academics may now be the norm for college students.

2. Take advantage of campus amenities and activities

Living on a college campus is somewhat like living in a small town in which everything is within walking distance, say students on Reddit reviews. Although college campuses may vary widely in size, if you live in a dorm, anything that’s happening on campus should be just a walk away.

Thus, living on a college campus offers you easy access to numerous events and activities in which you may participate. For example, theatre and music departments might organize performances you can attend. Or, you could head to your campus’ fitness center to work out. If your campus has a recreation center or game room, you can meet up with friends here at night if you have no studying to do.

Perhaps your campus is home to a museum featuring various interesting exhibits throughout the year. Additionally, student clubs and organizations likely host numerous events that may appeal to you. If you’re a sports fan attending school at a college where athletics are popular, you can likely attend games and matches throughout the semester.

Those are just a few examples of the types of activities, says Nerdify reviews team, that you may have easy access to when living on campus. Best of all, if you’re a student, participating in many of these activities may cost no money at all.

Adult life is different. After college, you won’t have as many opportunities to have low-cost fun within immediate walking distance of your home. Be sure to enjoy this unique benefit of the college experience while you can. You can also check Reddit threads and reviews about campus events and activities to get a sense of what types of events may be taking place on your campus.

3. Spend time with friends

Again, you attend college to earn a degree. That should always be your main goal. However, you can be a responsible student and still have an active social life.

Making good friends in college will have a positive impact on the overall experience. Nerdify reviews a survey of college graduates indicating 75% of those who made at least 10 close friends during college said the experience was very rewarding, while only 26% of those who didn’t make close friends in college said the experience was very rewarding.

Just as living on or near your college campus provides you with fast access to various activities in which you may participate, it also gives you access to many potential friends. During this period of your lives, you’ll all have many of the freedoms of adulthood without necessarily having many of the responsibilities of being an adult. Thus, you’re in a position to spend much more time with one another than you may be able to when you have careers, kids, etc. Take advantage of this by using your free time to cultivate quality friendships.

4. Develop relationships with professors and faculty members

Friendships with your fellow students aren’t the only types of valuable relationships you may forge in college. It’s also smart to develop relationships with professors and faculty members. Along with helping you succeed in your classes while you’re a student, your professors can also potentially assist you in getting jobs after graduation.

You already know research indicates graduates tend to have more positive attitudes about their college experiences if they made friends. Nerdify reviews experts found research showing that graduates are also more likely to feel they benefited from attending college if they developed relationships with their instructors and other members of the staff. Again, Reddit threads and reviews about getting to know professors and TAs in college can prove valuable if you don’t know how to begin developing this type of relationship.

It’s easy to understand why graduates share this opinion. A professor can serve as a helpful mentor who can set you on the path to a thriving career both in and out of school.

Just keep in mind, college goes by much faster than many students realize. Don’t wait to act on the advice here. If you apply these suggestions, your chances of having a rewarding college experience will be even greater than they already are.

You might be smiling wide as you are reading this post composed by Nerdify reviews because 2020 has been a challenging year when so many of our plans did not come true. Wearing a mask, learning online, staying apart, and talking to friends via Skype has been very far from what we have anticipated. Nevertheless, it is high time to think about some plans for 2021! We are certain that the world’s situation will definitely improve, which means that our brains will have to keep engaged and filled with all the great ideas!

Plan Your Travel Trip
It cannot be denied that the most anticipated thing in 2021 is the travel ban lift. As the various restrictions have not been removed yet, think about the best travel locations both locally and internationally. According to our Nerdify reviews team, most people do not even know about great places to visit locally because we are often ignoring them. If you still want to travel internationally, think about keeping your documents and immunization card ready in advance. We also recommend learning more about the country you are planning to visit and learn at least the basic phrases. You will thank us later!

Visit Local Museums
Somehow we have learned more about various museums in 2020 than we ever did before. Our experts at Nerdify reviews recommend visiting at least one local museum once they will be open again. Since museums and the cinemas seem to be among the first to close down because of the Covid-19 restrictions, they also suffer the most. While the movie industry will recover, it is not that easy for the museums. Show your support by paying a visit and taking your friends along with you.

Make a List of Top 10 Things to Do in 2021
We are all different, which means that our dreams and aspirations will vary from person to person. Of course, we all have planned so much as 2019 was coming to an end. Hopefully, our plans for 2021 will finally come true. Think about composing a top-10 list of all the things that you would like to do. It can be visiting a ball game, meeting your college friends at the party, subscribing to some music festival with your band, or finally meeting someone whom you could not see in person because of restrictions.

Join Some Volunteering Teams
Starting a new year is always unusual because we feel totally new and hope that many great and exciting things will happen. Our Nerdify reviews team recommends joining some volunteering. It can be anything from environmental protection to a literature club that helps young readers all over the world receive books. Living through social distancing in 2020, many people have finally learned to appreciate what we have and what we could not have. Becoming a volunteer will help you to make this world a much better place.

Create a Resume
This part is often ignored because we only think about the composition of a good CV when we are looking for a job or need to impress the college admission committee. The practice shows that once we are trapped in a situation like that, we are always in a hurry and do not take enough time to think about our skills and achievements. Think about creating a resume now without hurry or any pressure. Make a list of your achievements, think about what makes you different, and have it all ready in advance!

Apply for a Scholarship
Regardless if you are already a college student or only plan on getting enrolled, explore various scholarships. If you belong to an underprivileged family or require additional financial assistance for a great project that you came up with, you can seek the possibilities and help yourself. Some college scholarships are quite unusual and only require writing an essay about changing the world. Since you can participate in more than one competition, give it a try!

Start Learning Something New
Nothing beats mastering something new. Think about learning a foreign language, joining a music band, focusing more on your hobbies, or joining one of the free online courses that relate to your college major. Take one step at a time and do something that you haven’t done before! If you are not a college student yet, make sure to explore the possibilities and learn more about different professions.

Life Always Flows On

Remember to have fun as the holiday season comes up. It is only natural to dream and make plans. Do not become stuck on a single idea and learn how to think outside the box. Talk to your friends online, challenge yourself, and the new horizons will always open up sooner or later as life always flows just like a river!