10 Tech Tidbits You May Not Know About MLK
On Monday, we will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As we do so, we remember him as a leader, civil rights and equal pay activist, and most importantly, as a dreamer. Though he is best known for his, “I Have a Dream” speech, we’ve compiled a list of tech tidbits you may not know about the husband, father and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
1. His Papers? They’re In The Cloud
Thanks to the King Center Imaging Project, items of the King Center Archive collection, which include King’s speeches, sermons, photos and even telegrams (remember those?) have been preserved, digitized and made publicly available online.
2. His U.S. Streets Have Their Own Wikipedia Page
It is estimated that there are more than 900 streets named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in an estimated 42 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Those streets have a solo Wikipedia page.
3. He Was A Frequent Traveler, But Not In The Way You’d Expect
According to the Huffington Post, from 1957 until his death in 1968, King traveled more than 6 million miles. He gave more than 2,500 speeches during his travels. Likely due to the high price of airfare and the segregation of most airports before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which also has its own Wikipedia page, the majority of his travels were by bus not airplane. If he had traveled in a different age, could you imagine the frequent flyer status he would have earned?
4. Apple Honored Him On Its Homepage
In 2015, Apple honored King by devoting its entire homepage to the civil rights icon. It featured a photo of King accompanied by this message: “Today we reflect on the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work that continues in service of the broader concerns of humanity.”
5. Facebook Gives The Day Off
Despite the criticism other tech companies typically receive because employees are not offered King’s Day off from work, all of Facebook’s staff receives the day off in observance of MLK Day.
6. He Used The 1960s Version Of Twitter
Much like Twitter’s 140 characters, telegram writers were restricted in the number of letters and words used for economical and speed reasons. Therefore, telegram messages sent to and from King were often quite direct and strategic. The leader received telegrams from various cities including Moscow, Stockholm, Montgomery and New York. Some were official business, but others we well wishes from supporters. King’s telegrams are included in the King Center’s Archives.
7. He Was A Trekkie
According to NPR, King convinced actress Nichelle Nichols who played Uhura on Star Trek to continue the role when she considered quitting to pursue other dreams. Nichols says King’s reasons for her to stay were rooted in highlighting that Uhura was an intelligent crew member who was equal to those around her. King believed the role to be pivotal in breaking down racial stereotypes about Black people. Listen to the interview here.
8. He Won A Grammy
In 1971, King won a Grammy in the category of Best Spoken Word Album for “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam”.
9. He Was Time Magazine’s First African American Man Of The Year
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. became the first African American to be named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year. The only other African American to receive the honor was Barack Obama, who was named twice.
10. He Believed In Equal Pay For Women
King was a fierce trailblazer of the civil rights movement, which advocated for basic human rights as well as economic security for all. Nearly 50 years ago, he asked, “What good does it do to be able to eat at a lunch counter if you can’t buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee?” For millions of American women and their families — especially women of color — the aspiration of equal rights coupled with full economic opportunity is far from realized. If King were alive today, no doubt he would lend his powerful voice to this cause.
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