Recounting all of Martin Luther King’s accomplishments would take volumes. Among many other things, and while continually preaching his gospel of nonviolent resistance, he organized the Montgomery Bus Protests in support of Rosa Parks; he led a protest march on Washington D.C., where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Through his efforts Congress was able to pass the landmark Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 65. And for his efforts, he paid the ultimate price.

On this day, July 11, in 1977, for his tireless work in promoting civil rights for all citizens, President Jimmy Carter resolved to posthumously award Martin Luther King the Presidental Medal of Freedom.

Coretta King accepted the medal on behalf of her late husband. On presenting the medal, President Carter remarked “Martin Luther King, Jr., was the conscience of his generation. He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America. He made our nation stronger because he made it better. His dream sustains us yet.”