Dr. King’s speech for The March on Washington on August 28, 1963, just may be his most recognizable. What you may not know is that event organizers were greeted afterward by President John F. Kennedy at the White House. The demonstration included 250,000 people and helped to build momentum for two landmark pieces of legislation – the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

This exhilarating day ignited the Civil Rights Movement inspiring millions more than those who demonstrated in the nation’s capital that summer. Dr. King urged them to:

“Go back to Mississippi,

go back to Alabama,

go back to South Carolina,

go back to Georgia,

go back to Louisiana,

go back to the slums

and ghettos of our northern cities,

knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.”

True to his legacy of equality, Dr. King’s passion touched people from all walks of life, from famous actors and politicians to scholars and everyday citizens.

Here are 5 people whose lives of activism and action were inspired by MLK:

Ineva May Pittman Photo by Elijah Baylis, The Clarion Ledger

1. Ineva May-Pittman, Mississippi Civil Rights activist and NAACP member who marched with Dr. King:

“I just felt–free. With all these people from all across the country and the world, of all ethnicities, together–no incidents or anything, and everybody was friendly toward each other…” Ineva May-Pittman remembers the March on Washington in the summer of ‘63.

“Why can’t this be, you know, all the time? So we had to come back and double our determination to try to make it be. And we still workin’ on it.”

Teacher and Political Activist, Mrs. May-Pittman was a lifelong advocate for human rights and an active member of active member of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, the Jackson State University Alumni Association, and the NAACP.

Frankye Adams JohnsonFrankye Adams Johnson’s oral history interview conducted by Emilye Crosby in Jackson, Mississippi, 2015

2. Frankye Adams-Johnson, activist and teacher who marched with Dr. King:

Ms. Johnson remembers that the march was orderly and peaceful despite fears of possible violence. She was in awe of the crowd size – MLK’s March on Washington was the largest civil-rights demonstration America had ever seen. And then there were all the majestic buildings, the inspiring monuments.

And by far the most profound thing she heard was Dr. King’s speech, ringing out over a sea of believers. And then she recalled gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who sang I’ve Been ‘Buked and I’ve Been Scorned and is often credited with prompting Dr. King to go off-script and bring his dream to life.

“We were so charged up that some great transformation had occurred,” Johnson said.

“I envisioned that our quality of life as an African-American people … would be better for more of us than the handful that it is. I don’t want to put a damper on celebrating and commemorating. But I will just say there’s still so much more we need to be fighting for.”

Forest Whitaker Golden GlobesPhoto c/o Golden Globes

3. Forest Whitaker, actor:

“We followed him because he was holding your hope.

The hope that your life would be full and complete with equality.”

American actor and director, Forest Whitaker is famous for his deeply nuanced character portrayals in films and television series. It makes no difference if he’s playing a leading role or a more eccentric character. So it’s no surprise that he earned the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland.

“There are few people in history who take that position that allows people to follow and change, who represent something powerful…He did it in this country and made people walk with him towards a better life. I think it’s difficult for the next generation to see the things that happened before…So you have to continually, historically remind them and try to make them aware of what Martin Luther King was doing that we are all in this together. And that hope is alive today.”

Barak ObamaPhoto by Library-of-Congress-Unsplash

4. Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States:

“Dr. King was 26 when the Montgomery bus boycott began. He started small, rallying others who believed their efforts mattered, pressing on through challenges and doubts to change our world for the better A permanent inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing towards justice.”

5. Stevie Wonder, along with 80 other iconic figures, and the youth of today:

In commemoration of Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis in 1968, musician Stevie Wonder created a powerful tribute to Martin Luther King that called upon figures from Apple CEO Tim Cook and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to Serena Williams and Paul McCartney.

Most powerfully, Stevie posted, “On April 4, 1968 at 7:05 p.m. central time, Dr. King’s life was cut tragically short. 50 years later a need for his dream to be fulfilled is far greater than ever…”

Then Wonder called for all Twitter users to post their dedications to Dr. King and how he continues to inspire today’s generation.

“Share your dream & post your own #DreamStillLives video. Spread love…spread hope”

Meg Hanson is a Brooklyn-based writer, teacher, and jaywalker. Find Meg on her website and on Twitter @megsoyung.