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Proceeds from your purchases support the mission of The King Center in educating the world about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy and methods of nonviolence in order to create the Beloved Community.
“Salute to Greatness” Award
The “Salute to Greatness” Award, one of the King Center’s highest honors, is presented during the Annual “Salute to Greatness” Awards Dinner, to individuals and progressive organizations in recognition of outstanding efforts toward building Dr. King’s Beloved Community.
The award recognizes national and/or international individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in leadership and have demonstrated a commitment to the principles and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The “Salute to Greatness” Award was established and awarded for the first time in 1983.
The award has been designed to reflect the metaphorical elements Dr. King’s often spoke of in his teachings. The sphere is indicative of the world and the never ending cycle of life. Carved figures embrace each other around the sphere, symbolizing the journey to the “Beloved Community”. The sphere is surrounded by the “arc of the moral universe which bends toward justice”. The base, which is shaped like a pyramid, represents the pinnacle of humanity and mimics a water fall, “So that justice will roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” The bottom of the award is clear acrylic to represent faith, the foundation for hope and humanity. Nonviolence or nonexistence, the choice is clear.
