Today as our nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I am remembering him through two fascinating, seldom told stories.

The first is his near death incident in Harlem in 1958, when he was stabbed with a letter opener by a demented woman, during a book signing. The day after his stabbing the NY Times’ headline read,

“If Martin Luther King Had Sneezed”

Referencing what the doctors told King when the knife was stuck in his chest, he was firmly advised not to move, not to speak and not to sneeze because the letter opener would nick the aorta and drown him in his own blood.

Below is a small part of this story. I was first introduced to this story by my friend Al Cohen, who calls it, “The Day Harlem Saved a King.”

His documentary, unrelated to the YouTube below) will be released sometime in 2019. I was at a private screening of Al’s film, moved to tears along with other Harlem leaders and Ron Naclerio, the son of one of the surgeons, Dr. Emil Naclerio, who helped save Dr. King’s life that day.

Here’s a small part of the story.

In addition, here’s a relatively unknown story of Dr. King when he met with God and experienced hearing His voice.

I find it fascinating that Dr. King was called by God, anointed by God, heard from God and responded to the voice of God. I’ve heard relatively little about this and it is deeply inspiring.

These videos are a fraction of the volumes of books, articles and videos about this beloved leader who changed history. I hope you’ll be as encouraged by these as I am.

Whether you’re working today or enjoying the day off in honor of Dr. King, I hope you’ll take a minute and reflect on all of this and continue to be a source of unity in a polarized world.