Today, the country pauses to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with parades, speeches and acts of service. At 8 a.m., the MLK Breakfast will take place at the Julia T. & Charles W. Cherry Sr.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures in the US civil-rights movement. Much of what people know about the activist is limited to his iconic role in the 1963 March ...