Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Short Story and Works

Martin Luther King, Jr. was brought into this worldas Michael Luther on January 15, 1929. Later on, he wanted to be called Martin. Martin Luther, both an activist and clergyman, is known to be one of the most prominent leaders in the African-American civil rights movement.

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. In 1948, he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Morehouse College, a distinguished African-American institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated.

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. Aside from being considered as one of the civil rights icon, he was recognized as a martyr by two Christian churches in America.

A peaceful march occurred in Washington on August 28, 1963. 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.. He was declared ‘Man of the year’ by Time Magazine later that year.

He was arrested several times and became a target of violent threats. After one of his arrests, he wrote the famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, narrating his beliefs and hopes for the future of America. The US Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to the protests spearheaded by Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. The Act protected African-Americans or other ethnic groups from being treated unjustly.

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. He was at the forefront of the 1968 protest in Tennessee against unfair treatment 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. will always be remembered for his unselfish devotion to raise public consciousness in America and the peaceful means he used to make the changes. Every year, Martin Luther King, Jr Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. This MLK Day, use the celebration to remember the change you can make when you’re life is focused on doing good to those around you.

Something that may prove useful to you is the book Listen To My Dream by Debi Pearl. The author is an old white lady from rural Tennessee and her motivation for writing the book is very interesting.

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