Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was one of the most important personalities in the civil rights movement, leading non-violent resistance to put an end to segregation in the United States. Through his efforts and initiative, black Americans were given opportunities in education and also employment. Martin Luther King, Jr is also known for giving exemplary speeches in the 20th century.
Martin Luther King Remembered
These Eisenach 50 Pfennig Notgeld banknotes from 1922 are part of the Luther Jubilee commemorative series. They share the same obverse design depicting the city’s emblem and also a view of the Wartburg castle. The reverse of the banknotes illustrates the arrival and capture of German priest Martin Luther, whom the civil rights legend was named after. Not known to many, Martin Luther King Jr was really born Michael King, Jr. When he was 5 years old, his father changed not only his own name but also the young Michael’s as he was inspired by the story of the German friar.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s early peaceful protests were triggered when a 15-year-old black schoolgirl and a black seamstress were arrested for refusing to give up their bus seats to white men. Those two separate incidents led Dr. King to initiate the Montgomery bus boycott.
This newest version of the 200 Indian rupee banknote features Mahatma Gandhi whom Dr. King had always referred to as the guiding light of his technique of bloodless fights for social change. The back of the note displays the Sanchi Stupa and also the Swachh Bharat logo depicting Gandhi’s eyeglasses.
The US Dollar
On the reverse of the USA 5 Dollar banknote from 2013 is the Lincoln Memorial Center, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr delivered the famed “I Have A Dream” speech before a crowd of 250,000 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Such a march successfully pressured John F. Kennedy to push a solid federal civil rights bill in Congress. And such a speech made a lasting impact on world rhetoric and also became the peak of Dr. King’s global influence.
On the obverse of the 5-dollar note is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. It also displays the Treasurer’s signature, the Federal Reserve Seal, the Treasury Seal, and the Great Seal of the United States.
Sources:
Thumbnail: christianthiel.net – stock.adobe.com
_-_NARA_-_542015_-_Restoration.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}