TAMPA, Fla. -- For Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is very personal.
He grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, 15 miles from where Dr. King wrote his letter from Birmingham City Jail in 1963. It was on those streets and sidewalks that protesters, including children, were attacked by police dogs and high-pressure hoses during what was supposed to be peaceful demonstrations.
Just three miles down the road, the 16th Street Baptist Church served as the headquarters for a number of important meetings during the Civil Rights Movement, and was the target of, as King put it, "One of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity" -- a bombing that killed four girls -- all age 14 and under -- and injured 22 others.