Martin Luther Martin Luther King JR.King JR.

By :Dwayne ColeBy :Dwayne Cole

ChildhoodChildhood

• Martin Luther King, Jr. was Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15 in 1929 born on January 15 in 1929 his maternal grandparents' his maternal grandparents' large Victorian house on large Victorian house on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the Georgia. He was the second of three children, second of three children, and was first named and was first named Michael, after his father. Michael, after his father. Both changed their names Both changed their names to Martin when the boy to Martin when the boy was still young. was still young.

Teen yearsTeen years

• After going to local grammar and After going to local grammar and high schools, King enrolled in high schools, King enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta in Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and bearing convinced manner and bearing convinced him that a religious career could him that a religious career could be intellectually satisfying as well. be intellectually satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa., winning the Larker Chester, Pa., winning the Larker Award as the outstanding student Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. King completed the coursework King completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years granted the degree two years later upon completion of his later upon completion of his dissertation. dissertation.

ADULT HOODADULT HOOD

• Married by then, King Married by then, King returned South to become returned South to become pastor of the Dexter Avenue pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. Here, he Montgomery, Ala. Here, he made his first mark on the made his first mark on the civil-rights movement, by civil-rights movement, by mobilizing the black mobilizing the black community during a 382-day community during a 382-day boycott of the city's bus boycott of the city's bus lines. King overcame arrest lines. King overcame arrest and other violent and other violent harassment, including the harassment, including the bombing of his home. bombing of his home. Ultimately, the U.S. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus Supreme Court declared bus segregation segregation unconstitutional. unconstitutional.

THE FIGHT THE FIGHT

• A national hero and a civil-A national hero and a civil-rights figure of growing rights figure of growing importance, King summoned importance, King summoned together a number of black together a number of black leaders in 1957 and laid the leaders in 1957 and laid the groundwork for the groundwork for the organization now known as organization now known as the Southern Christian the Southern Christian Leadership Conference . King Leadership Conference . King was elected its president, and was elected its president, and he soon began helping other he soon began helping other communities organize their communities organize their own protests against own protests against discrimination.discrimination.

• After finishing his first book After finishing his first book and making a trip to India, and making a trip to India, King returned to the United King returned to the United States in 1960 to become co-States in 1960 to become co-pastor, with his father, of pastor, with his father, of Ebenezer Baptist Church.Ebenezer Baptist Church.

• Three years later, King's Three years later, King's nonviolent tactics were nonviolent tactics were put to their most severe put to their most severe test in Birmingham, during test in Birmingham, during a mass protest for fair a mass protest for fair hiring practices and the hiring practices and the desegregation of desegregation of department-store department-store facilities. Police brutality facilities. Police brutality used against the marchers used against the marchers dramatized the plight of dramatized the plight of blacks to the nation at blacks to the nation at large, with enormous large, with enormous impact. King was arrested, impact. King was arrested, but his voice was not but his voice was not silenced: He wrote "silenced: He wrote "Letter from a Birmingham JailLetter from a Birmingham Jail" " to refute his critics. to refute his critics.

• Later that year King was a principal speaker at the historic Later that year King was a principal speaker at the historic March on Washington, where he delivered one of the most March on Washington, where he delivered one of the most passionate addresses of his career. Time magazine designated passionate addresses of his career. Time magazine designated him as its Person of the Year for 1963. A few months later he him as its Person of the Year for 1963. A few months later he was named recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. When he was named recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. When he returned from Norway, where he had gone to returned from Norway, where he had gone to accept the awardaccept the award, , King took on new challenges. In Selma, Ala., he led a voter-registration King took on new challenges. In Selma, Ala., he led a voter-registration campaign that ended in the Selma-to-Montgomery Freedom March. campaign that ended in the Selma-to-Montgomery Freedom March. King next brought his crusade to Chicago, where he launched programs King next brought his crusade to Chicago, where he launched programs to rehabilitate the slums and provide housing. to rehabilitate the slums and provide housing.

• In the North, King soon little for his preaching and even less In the North, King soon little for his preaching and even less for his pleas for peaceful discovered that young and angry for his pleas for peaceful discovered that young and angry blacks cared protest. Their disenchantment was one of the blacks cared protest. Their disenchantment was one of the reasons he rallied behind a new cause: the war in Vietnam.reasons he rallied behind a new cause: the war in Vietnam.

• Although he was trying to create a new coalition based on Although he was trying to create a new coalition based on equal support for peace and civil rights, it caused an equal support for peace and civil rights, it caused an immediate rift. The National Association for the immediate rift. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People saw King's shift of emphasis Advancement of Colored People saw King's shift of emphasis as "a serious tactical mistake" the Urban League warned as "a serious tactical mistake" the Urban League warned that the "limited resources" of the civil-rights movement that the "limited resources" of the civil-rights movement would be spread too thin.would be spread too thin.

• But from the vantage point of history, King's timing But from the vantage point of history, King's timing was superb. Students, professors, intellectuals, was superb. Students, professors, intellectuals, clergymen and reformers rushed into the clergymen and reformers rushed into the movement. Then, King turned his attention to the movement. Then, King turned his attention to the domestic issue that he felt was directly related to domestic issue that he felt was directly related to the Vietnam struggle: poverty. He called for a the Vietnam struggle: poverty. He called for a guaranteed family income, he threatened national guaranteed family income, he threatened national boycotts, and he spoke of disrupting entire cities boycotts, and he spoke of disrupting entire cities by nonviolent "camp-ins." With this in mind, he by nonviolent "camp-ins." With this in mind, he began to plan a massive march of the poor on began to plan a massive march of the poor on Washington, D.C., envisioning a demonstration of Washington, D.C., envisioning a demonstration of such intensity and size that Congress would have such intensity and size that Congress would have to recognize and deal with the huge number of to recognize and deal with the huge number of desperate and downtrodden Americans.desperate and downtrodden Americans.

• King interrupted these plans to lend his support to the King interrupted these plans to lend his support to the Memphis sanitation men's strike. He wanted to discourage Memphis sanitation men's strike. He wanted to discourage violence, and he wanted to focus national attention on the violence, and he wanted to focus national attention on the plight of the poor, unorganized workers of the city. The men plight of the poor, unorganized workers of the city. The men were bargaining for basic union representation and long-were bargaining for basic union representation and long-overdue raises.overdue raises.

• But he never got back to his poverty plans. Death came for King But he never got back to his poverty plans. Death came for King on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine Hotel just off Beale Street. While standing outside with Jesse Hotel just off Beale Street. While standing outside with Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, King was shot in the neck by a Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, King was shot in the neck by a rifle bullet. His death caused a wave of violence in major cities rifle bullet. His death caused a wave of violence in major cities across the country.across the country.

The EndThe End

QUIZ #1QUIZ #1

When was Martin Luther King Jr. When was Martin Luther King Jr. born.born.

A. January 15, 1929 A. January 15, 1929

B. December 5, 1927B. December 5, 1927

C. July 9 1942C. July 9 1942

QUIZ #2QUIZ #2

Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. bornborn

A. A. New YorkNew York

B. MontgomeryB. Montgomery

C. Atlanta, GeorgiaC. Atlanta, Georgia

QUIZ #3QUIZ #3

Who is was Martins wifeWho is was Martins wife

A. Beyonce A. Beyonce

B. Coretta Scott B. Coretta Scott

C. Susan B.C. Susan B.

QUIZ #4QUIZ #4

How many children did king haveHow many children did king have

A. 5A. 5

B. 2B. 2

C. 3C. 3

QUIZ #5QUIZ #5

What year did martin Luther king What year did martin Luther king die die

A. A. 19681968

B. B. 19901990

C. C. 19591959