On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and called Michael Luther. After some time, he chose to be called Martin. Martin is a well-known lobbyist and minister defending the rights of the African-American community.
He was brought up in the Southern part of America when the African-American society was seen as nothing but slaves. It was in Georgia that he attended and finished high school when he was fifteen. He took up Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and completed in 1948 from Morehouse College, an acknowledged African-American Institute where his grandfather and father also finished up their studies.
While attending graduate school in Boston, Martin met his future wife, Coretta Scott, a strong and powerful woman who shared his views and cared deeply about civil rights. It didn’t take them much time before they tied the knot and started a family.
As Martin’s father and grandfather were, Martin became a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Up until his death, he served as co-pastor alongside his father. He was not only a civil rights icon but he was also considered a martyr in 2 other Christian churches in America.
On August 28, 1963, the peaceful march in Washington took place. He gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to more than 250,000 people who gathered to hear the famous national speaker from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. Before the year ended, Time magazine proclaimed him ‘Man of the Year’.
He was taken into custody countless times and the center of death threats. He was reciting his views and aspirations for a better America from Birmingham Jail in one of those times when he was restrained where he wrote the famous Birmingham Letter. Protests he personally led brought about change and made the US Congress come up with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. African-Americans or other ethnic groups are protected by this Act from being treated unfairly.
It was the same year (1964), at the age of 35, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil obedience and other non-violent means. A protest was held in Memphis, Tennessee sometime in 1968 regarding the inequitable working conditions given to African American garbage workers. While standing on the balcony of his motel room, he was assassinated by James Earl Ray, a convict who had escaped from jail.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s name will be honoured as long as his crusade for equality of treatment will remain sustained in our society today. Martin Luther King, Jr Day is annually celebrated on the third Monday of January. This MLK Day, take a moment to remember how one life, devoted to the good of others, can make a huge impact on the world.
As a helpful resource Debi Pearl, an old white lady from rural Tennessee, has written a tribute to MLK titled Listen To My Dream. Find out more, including why she was motivated to write it, through the links above.