Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr was a significant man in many ways. He won many awards and made important speeches.
Among the numerous important awards, was the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man that made history. Born January 15,1929 in Atlanta Georgia, MLK was a baptist minister, social activist, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He was also active in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, of 1957.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Martin Luther King fought hard to end racial segregation in America. Even in the face of overwhelmed, tenacity and commitment allowed him to eventually reach his goals(History.com). Growing up, MLK lived with his parents, Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King; siblings, Christine and Alfred Daniel Williams King; and his maternal grandparents. He adored his father and always wanted to be a baptist preacher like him.
Martin Luther King Jr had a religious family and they always went to church on Sunday. Being really close, they always did things together. With his family’s support and belief in King’s self- confidence lead to King’s leadership abilities later in his life (biography.com). Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important voice and leader in the Civil Rights Movement.
He also drove the Montgomery Bus Boycott. One of his most powerful and memorable speeches, “I had a dream, ” is well known today and is often quoted. King’s fierce commitment to racial equality and social justice created a fierce backlash among many whites. No matter how hateful the resistance to King’s movement, he remained confident and never lost sight of his vision (YourDictioary). King’s life came to a tragic end after 6 p.
m. on April 4, 1968 when he was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee.Ray was sentenced to 99 years. The assassination was unexpected. In reaction to MLK’s assassination, people held rallies across the nation.
People were devastated by the loss of their most powerful leader (historynet.com) During the roughly 3 decades of King’s leadership, African Americans achieved more progress towards racial equality than they had in the past 350 years. King demonstrated the effectiveness of non-violent protests, marches, and boycotts. Due to King’s early death, he was not able to achieve many of his goals. However, his followers both black and whites both banded together to continue his fight for decades to come. King is inarguably a great American hero (About Dr.
King). Martin Luther King changed the course of American History as much as or more than any other person. In 1983 congress based legislation, signed into law by president Roland A. Regan creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day “The third Monday in January marks Martin Luther King Day, a U.
S. Holiday that honors King’s legacy and challenges citizens to engage in volunteer service in their communities” (share.america.gov).
