Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
A noted leader, Martin Luther King was one of several African-Americans concerned with reforming American society and gaining equal rights by using civil disobedience or non-violent action. He earned his Ph.D. from the School of Theology at Boston University. He was called to minister at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Despite opposition from his father who urged him to return to Atlanta, King moved to Montgomery in 1955, settling in just before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. Kin assisted in coordinating the bus boycott which gained national and international attention. He gained visibility as a black leader, and experience in organization and leadership as a result. In 1957 he was instrumental in organizing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a consortium of churches and civic groups which supported activities to parallel those of the NAACP. The SCLC supported sit-ins, boycotts, and protest marches in Birmingham, Alabama beginning in 1963. In August, during the March on Washington in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, King set aside his prepared speech and rallied the 250,000 in attendance with "I have a dream today!" He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Additional Information Can Be Found At...
The Seattle Times: Martin Luther King Jr.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. - Encarta Online Deluxe
MLK Web: A Teacher's Guide to Martin Luther Kink Jr. Links