Apple honours a great American, Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, an American who made America greater

Just a few days since announcing an attempt to help dismantle barriers faced by communities of color with its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, Apple has shown its deep respect for Martin Luther King by turning over its home page to the American hero on his annual commemoration day.

True peace… is the presence of justice

In a simple message on the Apple home page, the company quotes King, who once wrote:

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice,” in his book, Stride Toward Freedom, which was a memoir of the Montgomery bus boycott.

Discussing King’s book in 1958, Atlanta educator, Benjamin Mays wrote:

“Americans who believe in justice and equality for all cannot afford to miss the book. Negroes cannot afford to miss it because it tells us again how we can work against evil with dignity, pride and self-respect.”

On the assassination of the true U.S. hero, Gordon Parks said:

“Dr. King protested the way American whites preferred that he protest – non-violently. He spent the last dozen years of his life preaching love to men of all colors. And for all this, a man, white like you, blasted a bullet through his neck.”

For the many

“We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his leadership in civil rights,” Apple’s home page states in 2021.

The company shows its support for King each year. Last year, it carried a King quote from his acclaimed ‘Letter from a Birmingham jail’: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

[Also read: Apple Maps, Siri, and CEO say Black Lives Matter]

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has huge respect for King. In a Tweet to mark the day, he shares another quote from the great man:

“It will be power infused with love and justice that will change dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows, and lift us from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pic.twitter.com/tL0OuO0WTT

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 18, 2021

Following the tragic events in Minneapolis in 2020, Cook wrote an open letter ‘speaking up on racism’ in which he wrote:

“While our laws have changed, the reality is that their protections are still not universally applied. We’ve seen progress since the America I grew up in, but it is similarly true that communities of color continue to endure discrimination and trauma.”

Solidarity with everyone

In a related move, Apple has also published the story of Apple Distinguished Educator, Paul Lang, who is encouraging his children to think about Martin Luther King and his legacy with an innovative learning project.

“Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of striving to be excellent, striving to do what’s right, and striving to be fair goes beyond race. It’s economics and empathy, and this idea of solidarity with all human beings,” Lang states.

“My hope is that my students come to the realization that there is a basic humanity that we need to always be beholden to, not only within their class, not only within their school, but within their community, their city, their country, and the world.”

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