One of the United State’s most important times was the Civil Rights Movement, and one of the most important figures in that movement was Martin Luther King, Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Even growing up he experienced segregation. When King was 15 he began to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, and studied medicine and law. After graduating from Morehouse in 1948, King entered a seminary in Pennsylvania. King also attended Boston University. King got married and became a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama. Shortly after this, the infamous Rosa Parks incident occurred. King was made the leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association, a group that protested the city’s transportation system. King created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, in which he gave speeches and talked to national and international leaders. In 1960, King moved to Atlanta and was arrested in a store that October with other protesters. King began to gain the support of people of all races around the country, including President Kennedy and President Johnson.
In 1963, King protested in Birmingham, Alabama, and was arrested. A letter he wrote while in jail explained that non-violent direct actions caused people to face issues. Later that year, on August 28, King gave his most famous speech, the “I Have a Dream” speech, to 200,000 people outside of the Lincoln Memorial. The next year, the Civil Rights Act was passed. King was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that year. In 1965, King started a march in Selma, led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams. However, state troopers confronted them, and the march became infamous for its brutality. King led a second peaceful march. That year, the Voting Rights Act was passed.
On April 4, 1969, while at the Lorraine motel in Memphis, King was assassinated. His murderer, James Earl Ray, was arrested and sentenced to 99 years in prison. King’s bravery, leadership, and importance in the Civil Rights Movement led to him being given a national holiday in his name and a memorial in Washington, D.C. The holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated every third Monday of January. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a very important figure in our nation’s history.
