Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Jan. 15, 1929.His real name was Michael Luther King Jr. but later he changed his first name to Martin. His dad served as minister as Ebenzer Baptist church in Atlanta from 1960 to Martin’s death. He graduated from high school when he was 15 years old. He received a college degree in 1948 from Morehouse College. In Pennsylvania he was elected president of an all white class!!! A couple years later, he was in Boston, Massachusetts, and he met his future wife, Coretta Scott and lather they had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Martin was a strong worker for civil nights. A boycott was described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech. The bus boycott lasted 382 days. During the days of the boycott, Martin was arrested, his home was bombed, but he became Negro Leader at that time. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King traveled 6,000,000 times and spoke 2,500 times. When he was arrested, he wrote his inspiring letter called “A Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” He planned the drives in Alabama, and he directed the peaceful march on Washington D.C. 250,000 people his address, “I have a dream,” he agreed with John F. Kennedy and campaigned for Lyndon B. Johnson. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested at least 20 times and assaulted at least 4 times. He was named man of the year by Time magazine in 1963. When he was 35 years old, he was the youngest man ever to receive the Nobel Peace prize!! He said he would turn over the $54,123 to the civil rights movements. In the evening, on April 4, 1968, he was standing in the balcony outside his motel in Memphis, Tennessee; he was assassinated by a rifle bullet. 18 years later, a holiday was made in honor in him in January for every year. We have learned a lot from him and he set a good example and showed we are all equal. He was a very brave man; Everyone should keep his dream alive by making this world fair and peaceful. Home