| Martin Luther King Jr was one of the most | | | | buses were desegregated. |
| prominent advocates of the Civil Rights | | | | Civil Rights Movement. |
| movement during the 1960s. In contrast to some | | | | Following the success of this action the civil rights |
| civil rights activists Martin Luther King generally | | | | movement gained strength. King and other |
| promoted a non-violent strategy of social change. | | | | minister founded the Southern Christian |
| (This policy of non-violent resistance drew | | | | Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. There was |
| inspiration from similar campaigns by M.Gandhi in | | | | often disagreement about how to proceed with |
| India's Independence struggle. For his efforts he | | | | different groups pursuing different strategies. This |
| was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1964 | | | | split would become more significant in the 1960 |
| Early Life | | | | with substantial disagreements with groups such |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta on 15 | | | | as Black Power and Malcom X' Black Nationalist |
| January 1929. Both his father and grandfather | | | | groups. |
| were pastors in an African-American Baptist | | | | Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr |
| church, King would also later follow them into the | | | | Martin Luther King was one of the world's |
| ministry. M.Luther King attended Morehouse | | | | greatest orator. His deep and powerful voice was |
| College in Atlanta, (segregated schooling) and then | | | | able to captivate audiences. His speeches caused |
| went to study at Crozer Theological Seminary in | | | | him to become one of the most well known civil |
| Pennsylvania and Boston University. It was at | | | | rights leaders. In 1963 he was named as Time's |
| University that King became more aware of the | | | | man of the Year. It was in August of 1963 that |
| civil rights struggle and he took the opportunity to | | | | King delivered his famous and iconic "I have a |
| study Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent strategy for | | | | Dream Speech". The speech was given at the |
| social change. In 1953 King married Coretta Scott, | | | | Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C during the |
| who herself had many artistic and intellectual | | | | 250,000 march for civil rights. |
| talents. The following year King became pastor at | | | | Last Years |
| Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, | | | | However his opposition to the Vietnam War in the |
| Alabama. | | | | later part of the 1960s caused friction and |
| Montgomery Bus Boycott | | | | strained relations with the Johnson administration. |
| A defining moment in the civil rights struggle was | | | | It also led the FBI to seek to undermine King's |
| to a large degree instigated by M.Luther King who | | | | leadership. |
| was the president of the Montgomery | | | | In April 1968 Martin Luther King delivered his final |
| Improvement Association. | | | | address "I've Been to the Mountaintop" whilst |
| It began on 5 December 1955, when Rosa Parks | | | | supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, |
| a civil rights activist refused to given up her seat | | | | The next day, 4 April 1968, King was |
| breaking the strict segregation on Montgomery's | | | | assassinated. |
| buses. King inspired black residents to launch a bus | | | | To this day, King remains a potent symbol of the |
| boycott which lasted well into 1956, this gained | | | | African American civil rights movement. His |
| substantial media coverage and in Dec of the | | | | speeches offer a striking exposition of some of |
| following year the United States Supreme Court | | | | the ideals of the civil rights movement. |
| declared the segregation unconstitutional and the | | | | |