In 1964, at the age of 35, Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest person every to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His accomplishments leading up to that award were nothing short of amazing; as a (fairly recent) graduate student I quickly subtracted his start date from the completion date of his doctorate -- a time when he was also starting a family -- and came up with two short years.

I can't summarize Dr. King's legacy for America, but I am struck by two aspects of his vision that I think provide the foundation of what many think of basic human morality today. The first aspect is the concept of the dignity and value of all human kind. Racial justice was the most prominent aspect of this vision, but he extended the vision to all humans, disadvantaged and advantaged alike. This was clear in his recently released speech, where he emphasized how justice, dignity and value have been ideals strived for in all areas, and linked various philosophers with different political views to this concept.

We are all moving, in some sense, towards a promised land...justice peace and brotherhood are the promised land.

The second aspect is that, in turn, acting non-violently is the highest form of human dignity. This, clearly, is the root of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

...This award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.