43 years ago, something great happened. As I pointed out last January, “white activists from Appalachia, Latinos, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native-Americans and other groups from around the United States” met with Martin Luther King in the basement of Ebenezer Baptist Church on his birthday: January 15, 1968. This is a little known fact that speaks volumes about King’s amazing global legacy.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the King Holiday, I highly recommend the three-part, bestselling series on Martin Luther King’s life: Parting the Waters, Pillar of Fire, and At Canaan’s Edge. All three books, written by author Taylor Branch, give clarity and definition to what what King was fighting for (and against).

He laid the groundwork for so much that has taken place over the past 40 years. Despite the global challenges that confront us daily, his legacy is worth celebrating every day of the year.