Showing posts with label Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Show all posts

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (1929-1968)


Martin Luther King Jr., was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a family of Baptist ministers. He lead some of the most important Civil Rights campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s. 

King spoke of American democracy and used Gandhian tactics, of non-violent resistance to minimize bloodshed. He tried very hard to break the institutionalized racial segregation and fought hard to support racial equality.

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; the youngest person to ever receive this honor. King described his life long work, "as a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice."

King was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, where he led six thousand protesters on a march in support of sanitation workers. MLK delivered his powerful speech "I've been to the Mountaintop", the day before his assassination.


James Earl Ray (seen above), is later captured and convicted of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ray denied shooting Martin Luther King Jr., leaving it as a conspiracy surrounding the government.

King's birthday is now a national holiday, and history remembers him as an important American Civil Rights leader.

Why do you think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated? 

2008 LA