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Today we're going to learn about the
civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr, best known for his
non-violent protests and speeches calling
for equality for all people, was born on January
15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the
second of three children, born to a Baptist
preacher.
At the time, less than 70 years after slavery
was made illegal in the United States, things
were still hard for black Americans. Many
people were unhappy when slavery was ended,
and lawmakers in some places, especially southern
states, made special rules to keep white people
and black people apart. People of different
races had to use different drinking fountains,
different bathrooms, and even had to go to
different schools. The Supreme Court ruled
that it was legal as long as things were 'separate
but equal.' This separation between people
of different colors was called 'segregation.'
This was the atmosphere that young Martin
Luther King grew up in. He attended a segregated
school, where he did so well that he was able
to skip two grades and graduate at the age
of 15. Shortly after graduating he began studying
at Morehouse College, and he graduated with
a degree in sociology in 1948. He had decided
to become a minister, like his father, and
so he enrolled in a Seminary to study religion.
In 1951, Martin Luther King, Jr. graduated
from the seminary, the top in his class.
On June 18, 1953, King married Coretta Scott,
with whom he would have four children.
He continued his education by studying for
his doctorate at Boston College, and in 1954
he became the pastor of a Baptist church in
Montgomery, Alabama. In 1955, he recieved
his Ph.D. when he was only 25 years old.
In December of 1955, Rosa Parks refused to
give up her seat on the bus to a white man,
for which she was arrested and spent the night
in jail. Martin Luther King and other civil
rights leaders organized a boycott of the
bus system. This meant that the people who
wanted things to change would stop riding
the bus. The Montgomery bus boycott lasted
over a year, and so many people refused to
ride the busses that the bus companies lost
a lot of money. In December of 1956, the Supreme
Court ruled that segregated busses were unconstitutional.
This was a major victory for the Civil Rights
movement and it proved that peaceful methods
could create change. However, many people
were upset by the changes that were happening,
and Martin Luther King was nationally recognized
after his part in the bus boycott. He was
jailed over 20 times, stabbed, his house was
bombed, and he was frequently threatened - but
he never stopped calling for equality.
Between 1957 and 1968, King worked tirelessly
to promote civil rights. He travelled all
over, giving thousands of speeches, writing
five books, and many articles. His hard work
and speaking ability earned him respect and
a personal meeting with President John F.
Kennedy.
Of all his speeches, his most memorable was
the "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on
the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963
to a listening crowd of 250,000 people.
"I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation where they will
not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character. I have
a dream today!"
That year, Martin Luther King was named Time
magazine's man of the year, and in 1964 he
received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Around the same time, partially as a result
of his efforts, Congress passed the Civil
Rights Act, which made segregation and discrimination
based on race, color, religion, sex, or national
origin illegal.
King gave his final speech on April 3, 1968.
"I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get
there with you. But I want you to know tonight,
that we, as a people, will get to the promised
land!"
The next day, while he was standing on his
hotel balcony, Martin Luther King, Jr. was
shot and killed. He was 39 years old.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a
bill creating a national holiday to remember
King's life and accomplishments. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday
every January in honor of the man whose dream
of peace and equality helped change a nation.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Martin Luther
King, Jr. today. Goodbye till next time!
