Please join our Association in paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. His lectures and remarks stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches Dr. King led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in the nation and abroad.

Dr. King's concept of somebodiness gave black and poor people a new sense of worth and dignity. He was a leader in nonviolent direct action and social change. The youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace prize, Dr. King led the movement to end racial segregation in the U.S. His most famous address was his "I Have A Dream" speech in 1963.

After Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, trade unions led a campaign for a federal holiday to honor him. In 1983, following support from Stevie Wonder with his hit single "Happy Birthday" and a petition with six million signatures, the bill became law. Martin Luther King Day was first observed in 1986.

NEA's lesson plans, activity ideas and other resources for teaching about Dr. King.

Library of Congress resources for teachers

The organization that became the Colorado Education Association was formed on December 28, 1875, as the Colorado Teachers Association. The original group included 41 women and 58 men, among them Horace M. Hale, Colorado Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Aaron Gove, a future NEA president.

The founders met at Denver's Arapahoe School to discuss how to improve education for children in the soon-to-be State of Colorado. They had three objectives when they wrote the organization's constitution, creating a voluntary associatino of those responsible for educating children and youth: "to increase our efficiency, promote in every wise the education movement, and dignify the profession of teaching." The founders elected Hale as their first president.