The first thing that caught my attention when I listened to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech was the fact that he knew the event would go down in history and be remembered forever. I think that is so important because if MLK hadn't started his speech with the attention and credit it deserved, the people participating in the demonstration or attending the speech probably wouldn’t have felt as important. If the leader does not feel empowered by what he/she is doing how can they expect their followers to? MLK had a presence about him and I think it was that presence that made him stand out during his era. Not only his courage, but his drive, strong voice, and leadership. A quote that comes to mind when I think about MLK is, "speak the truth even if your voice shakes." I love this quote and as a whole, it and MLK give courage to people who might feel small or unimportant in the face of society, government, or even their family. Staying true to freedom and equality got blacks the rights they deserved, and without MLK's courage there's no telling when it would have happened.