One of the most prestigious ways to honor the late Martin Luther King Jr. is to continue the Civil Rights Movement in his honor. He played a major role in shaping America as we know it today. Along the way, he inspired numerous activists to carry on his legacy by changing the world.

Here are a few prominent advocates who were inspired by King to act and pursue equal rights for the country’s citizens.

President Barack Obama

While Obama was an adolescent during the time of Martin Luther King Jr.’s untimely death, his message and story inspired the young man to advocate equal rights. He was credited as saying, “that’s my story,” regarding the book “Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63,” which is both a biography about King and history of the civil rights movement.

King’s influence can be seen during Obama’s tenure as president with positive policies affecting people of color, same-sex marriages and universal health care. The first African American president continued his legacy by promoting equal rights for all Americans.

Activist Frankye Adams-Johnson

Daughter of a struggling sharecropper, she suffered through segregation during childhood and was unable to attend school daily. During an interview with the organization civil rights movement veterans, she declared that she was 17 years old when she noticed college students in a town nearby were protesting their treatment and decided to get involved. She would later organize a walkout in her school in support of the students protesting nearby and eventually marched with King to push for a better America.

Rev. Dr. William Barber

Barber is an anti-poverty activist who hopes to encourage Congress to pass a package of laws to guarantee an income, affordable housing and funds for poor communities. Barber hopes to continue this campaign in honor of King, who was assassinated, ultimately resulting in the slowing of the advancement of civil rights.