Dr. Martin Luther King jr was an American preacher, humanitarian, and activist who is best known for his role in the African-American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s
dr. King who was inspired by his faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, is considered one of history's greatest champions of non-violence. He used the power of his words and peaceful demonstrations such as protests sit-ins, and boycotts to achieve equality for all people.
Dr.Martin Luther King jr. is a true American Hero.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s life
Let's learn more about his life and how he inspired a nation and the world to become more tolerant and accepting of all citizens regardless of race, class, or gender.
Martin Luther King jr was born on Tuesday, January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, at midnight.
His name at verse was Michael King his father, also named Michael, changed both their names to Martin Luther in honor of the world-renowned German reformer of the same name.
Martin jr. was a middle child. He had an older sister named Willie Christine King and a younger brother named Alfred Daniel Williams King.
Martin jr. attended Booker T Washington High School and was so smart he skipped both the ninth and twelfth grades he enrolled in Morehouse College at age 15 without formally graduating from high school.
During his final semester at Morehouse College, Martin was ordained as a minister. He also took his first steps towards being an activist by writing a letter to the Atlanta Constitution editor.
In the letter, he declared that African Americans were entitled to American citizens' fundamental rights and opportunities. After graduating from Morehouse, Martin attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania from 1948 until 1951.
Martin then began his doctoral studies at Boston University. During this time, he began to draw from his education, his faith, and his natural verbal ability to form the foundation for what would become his critical role in the civil rights movement.
While in Boston, Martin met and dated Coretta Scott, a student at the New England Conservatory of Music. On June 18, 1953, they were married in Alabama, where the Carretas family lived. Martin and Coretta became the parents of four children Yolanda King Martin Luther King, the third Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white person on a crowded bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a city known for its segregated public spaces. That night Martin met with other activists to plan a citywide protest known as the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott lasted over 380 days.
During this time, Martin was arrested and harassed by people who did not want the changes he was fighting to bring about the boycott; however, it was a success. The US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation and transportation were unconstitutional. Martin's role in the boycott transformed him into a national figure and the best-known spokesman of the civil rights movement.
In the wake of the boycott victory, civil rights leaders recognized the need for national organizations to coordinate their efforts better. In January 1957, Martin and roughly 60 other ministers and activists founded the SCLC Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
With Martin as president, the SCLC helps conduct nonviolent protests and demonstrations across the South to promote civil rights reforms. A primary focus for the organization was registering African-Americans to vote.
The SCLC sponsored mass meetings and critical southern cities for that purpose.
In 1963 Martin led a coalition of several civil rights groups and a nonviolent campaign aimed at Birmingham, Alabama, which was described as the most segregated city in America.
The nation was shocked to see images of young African Americans attacked by police dogs and high-pressure fire hoses displayed on television, newspapers, and magazines.
During this campaign, Martin wrote his now-famous letter from a Birmingham jail after being arrested again for his participation in the demonstrations.
Later in 1963, Martin was one of the March for Jobs and Freedom's driving forces, more commonly known as the march on Washington.
Martin Luther King speech I Have a Dream
On August 28, 1963, over 250,000 people of all ethnicities gathered at the National Mall in Washington DC to demand justice and equality for all people. It was here that Martin made his famous I have a dream speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This speech inspired the nation and is now considered one of the greatest in American history. Martin was later named Time Magazine's Man the year this further cemented his status as the nation's foremost social change leader.
In 1964 at 35 years old, Martin became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. When he found out that he had been selected, he promised to donate the prize money over fifty-four thousand dollars to help continue the civil rights movement's important work.
he delivered another powerful speech when he accepted his award that was both moving and motivational. Also, in 1964 partly due to the march on Washington and Martin speech Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act. This legislation made it illegal to discriminate against people because of their race, the Jim Crow rules of the South that promoted segregation.
The harsh mistreatment of African Americans was now against federal law.
This was one of the most significant accomplishments of the civil rights movement.
In March of 1965, Martin led a march from Selma to the Capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama, to urge President Lyndon b johnson and his administration to pass a law protecting African-American rights voters. After the march, Martin gave another powerful speech that helped rally more supporters, that same year; Congress went on to pass the Voting Rights Act that eliminated the remaining barriers to voting for African Americans before this legislation.
There were still areas in which African Americans were utterly disenfranchised, meaning they did not have the right to vote.
Over the next three years, Martin spoke of racial discrimination to economic injustice and international peace.
He led campaigns in Chicago, Illinois, and spoke strongly against the Vietnam War. Martin's opposition to the war cost him support among white allies, including the president, union leaders, and publishers. Martin and the SCLC also organized the Poor People's Campaign in 1968 to assemble a multiracial coalition of impoverished Americans who would advocate for economic change.
Martin Luther King Assassination
On April 4, 1968, Martin was shot while standing on the balcony outside of his hotel room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. At 7:05 p.m., Martin was pronounced dead at st. Joseph's Hospital he was 39 years old.
Martin was buried in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr.Martin Luther King jr. changed the course of American history. He worked tirelessly to ensure that all people, regardless of race, religion, or national origin had equal opportunities and could live their lives without fear of violence and discrimination.
Martin is regarded as America's most significant human rights advocate.
Martin Luther King Day
In 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday honoring Martin. The holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year is called Martin Luther King jr. Day or MLK Day in the year 2000 was officially marked by all 50 states for the first time.
Accomplishments Of Martin Luther King
1. March on Washington.
2. Montgomery Bus Boycott.
3. Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
4. Birmingham Campaign.
5. Nobel Peace Prize.
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