Keeping The Dream Alive
Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Martin Luther King, Jr., was an American Baptist Minister, activist, first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and leader in the Civil Rights movement.
According to GoodDeedsDay, Kings experience of racism and segregation in the South led him to become involved with the civil rights movement. Inspired by his Christian beliefs and the non-violent activism of Mahatma Gandhi, King strongly believed in peaceful protesting through non-violence and civil disobedience.
On December 5th, 1955, The Montgomery Improvement Association was formed to boycott the arrest of Rosa Parks. Four days prior, Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus, igniting the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott lasted for 381 days, and became so intense that Kings house was targeted and bombed. During the boycott, King was arrested - one of twenty-nine, however his role and great leadership transformed him into a national figure, and the best known spokesman of the civil rights movement. He also practiced in and led marches for black rights to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other basic civil rights.
On August 28th, 1963, King delivered a 17-minute speech, later known as "I Have a Dream", which came to be regarded as one of the finest speeches in history of American *oratory.
Two years later, on March 7th, 1965, the first attempt at the Selma to Montgomery march took place. This day has also became known as Bloody Sunday. They marched to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote. According to Wikipedia, during their first attempt the peaceful marchers resulted in much publicity, which made racism in Alabama visible nationwide. During their second attempt, King led marchers on March 9th to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, then held a short prayer session before turning the marches around, and asking them to *disperse. Finally, on March 25th, 1965, the Selma Montgomery March occurred.
On Thursday, April 4th, 1968, at 6:01 P.M. Martin Luther King, Jr., was fatally shot by James Earl Ray. King passed at 7:05 P.M., at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Vocabulary
Oratory | A small chapel, especially for private worship.
Dispense| To cause to break up.
Books
*Kids*
I Have a Dream | Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. | Brad Meltzer
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Martin Luther King III
The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Johnny Ray Moore
Let the Children March | Monica Clark-Robinson
*Adults*
I Have a Dream | Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Doreen Rappaport
Why We Can't Wait | Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength to Love | Martin Luther King, Jr.
Stride Toward Freedom; The Montgomery Story | Martin Luther King, Jr.
Movie(s) | Film(s) | Documentaries'
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis | 1970
Boycott | 2001
Betty & Coretta | 2013
Selma | 2014
I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. | 2018
MLK/BLK | 2020
Source(s)
"5 Ways to Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr's Legacy." GoodDeedsDay, 20 January 2020, https://www.good-deeds-day.org/5-ways-to-commemorate-martin-luther-king-jrs-legacy/
"Martin Luther King, Jr." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 June 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.
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