It’s been 57 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. 

In the time since, King’s legacy has grown, if possible, even more revered as the causes he championed - equal rights and racial harmony chief among them - remain powerful aspirations at the forefront of American life. 

While the full scope of King’s Dream remains elusive, the years since his death have shown just how powerful the non-violent means he used to effect change really are. 

If ever there was a time and place that proved the power of King’s peaceful approach, it was Sept. 29, 1962 at the national convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Birmingham, Ala.

It was on that day that a neo-Nazi named Roy James, incensed by King’s stance on “race-mixing,” leapt onto the stage where King was speaking and struck him twice across the face. 

Instead of retaliating, King chose instead to de-escalate the situation, speaking with James about why he felt compelled to assault him and, once authorities arrived, making clear he wished no charges be pressed against his assailant. 

Today, we ask you to join us in sparing a few moments to think on King’s powerful legacy, his dedication to non-violent resistance, his Dream for our country and the sweat, tears and blood he shed working toward making that Dream a reality. 

In the United Press International photo above, King, left, is seen confronting James, right, moments after the assault. At center is King’s fellow Civil Rights activist, Ralph Abernathy.