African-American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King was a humanitarian, pastor, and activist who utilized nonviolent civil disobedience to work toward the advancement of African-Americans, and racial integration. King and the Black Civil Rights Movement encouraged the Latino Movements, inspiring colleagues Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez's farmworker's protests, and encouraging Nuyorican activist Gilberto Gerena-Valentin. He was more than a rousing symbol, he provided emotional support, resources, and public relations to the Latino Civil Rights Movement.

Fifty years ago, King insisted that that all were owed "a promissory note ... a promise that all men -- yes, black men as well as white (I add every other color, gender, creed, and sexual orientation under the sun) would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." His belief that there should be no restrictions on human decency or equality was a message that resounds in the hearts of all who've heard his message and recognize his active role in mobilizing civil rights on all fronts.

During the spring of 1963, when preparing for the March on Washington -- where speech "I Have a Dream" would be delivered -- King visited Los Angeles' rally for Mexican Americans. More than 20,000 residents attended, able to hear a message from King and special guest speaker Juan Cornejo (the first Mexican American elected official) at L.A.'s Wrigley Field. There, they spoke about social injustice, criminalization and a collaborative need to overcome those burdens.

Prior to his death in 1968, the then 39-year-old King led a movement to address economic inequality, and a necessity to unite poor people of all color and nationalities. Chicano Movement leaders Bert Corona, Corky Gonzales and Reies Tijerina met with King so that they could collectively ensure that Mexican Americans were involved in the grassroots formation of the Poor People's Movement.

There's still debate over whether King's infamous dream has been achieved, most voting nay. Discrimination is still mainstay; Blacks and Latinos continue to struggle when it comes to educational attainment, and their socioeconomic status still isn't comparable to white Americans. Latinos' difficulties with immigration and undocumented workers prove that civil rights continue to be a pressing issue in America. This is exactly why remembering the work of former leaders and direct supporters is so important, because it offers guidance for the future.