Archbishop Nelson Perez issued a statement recently to mark the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, encouraging members of the community to strive to imitate the example of King, emphasizing that while strides have been made on civil rights, a lot of work still needs to be done.

“On Monday, we will commemorate the extraordinary life of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., a man of uncommon and extraordinary courage," Perez said. "He embraced a vocation of service to others with a tireless zeal for justice and equality, while drawing strength and inspiration from his Christian faith."

According to his statement, one year ago, Perez established a Commission on Racial Healing, stating much still needs to be done to combat racism and eradicate gun violence across the country. 

King received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Civil Rights Movement at the age of 35, making him the youngest man to have received the award. He donated the prize money – over $50,000 – to further advance civil rights, Nobel Prize reports. 

In the fall of 1958, King survived an assassination attempt, though he continued to preach and practice nonviolence. In April 1968, as King traveled to Memphis, Tenn., to support sanitation workers that were on strike, he was assassinated while on the balcony of his hotel at just 39 years of age.

According to NPR, King was a talented orator, known for his “I Have a Dream" speech that he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. In this speech, he famously said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”