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Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is celebrated far and wide. A prominent figure of the Civil Rights movement, his “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most famous orations of all time. Today, some locals still fondly recall how King’s dream brought him all the way to Northeast Florida. In the early 1960s, local Civil Rights activists asked King and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to come to St. Augustine. At the time, many were worried the Civil Rights Bill wouldn’t pass; they wanted to take a stand for the bill and for racial injustice in their community. During several trips to St. Augustine in ’64, King taught his method of nonviolent protest, gathering supporters and speaking at churches in the area. He was also arrested and spent some time in the old jail, which is now the St. Johns County Detention Center Annex building. Sheriff David Shoar told the St. Augustine Record in 2011 that the cell that housed King had since been converted to an office. On June 11, 1964, King was one of the activists arrested on trespassing charges when they attempted to eat in one of St. Augustine’s fancier eateries, the now-closed Monson Motor Lodge restaurant. King was later transported to Jacksonville as a safety precaution. Later that year, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Bill, integrating all public places and facilities. Also later that year, at age 35, King became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize, a record now held by Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, who was just 17 when she won.
Learn more at Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center, 102 Martin Luther King Ave., St. Augustine.
Ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Jacksonville:
- Jan 12: 37th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Prime Osborn Convention Center
- Jan. 15: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, Peck Center, Fernandina Beach
- Jan. 15: MLK Holiday Grand Parade, Downtown Jacksonville
- Jan. 15: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, St. Augustine
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