Marcia Chatelain is professor of history at Georgetown University. In this article Marcia wrote for America Magazine she shares an interesting reflection on Martin Luther King Jr. and his Jesuit Spirituality, which we are delighted to share with our global community.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life—longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will.” Martin Luther King Jr. 

« As an educator routinely tasked with teaching the U.S. civil rights movement or invited to reflect on King’s legacy for the annual holiday, I often return to King’s retreat in Jamaica because it set in motion the pivotal 11 month-period between the appearance of Where Do We Go From Here and his final oration, delivered the day before he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. In thinking of this period in King’s life, I am reminded of St. Ignatius Loyola’s 11 months in Manresa, Spain. For Catholics, particularly those who find great wisdom and hope in the life of St. Ignatius, King provides us numerous examples of how Ignatian spirituality can be lived and modeled outside of the church. »

To read the full article please follow this link: The Jesuit Spirituality of Martin Luther King Jr.

We would also like to share the following lesson plans related to Martin Luther Kings’ ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, as a resource to celebrate the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

(Featured Photo Credit: Library of Congress)