Martin Luther King, Jr.

On January 15, 1929, a famous leader was born. Today, we still celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., who stood up for what he believed was right.

As a black child, Martin Luther King Jr. attended public schools in the state of Georgia . At that time there were separate schools for white people and black people. They did not go to the same schools like we do today. Even though he was treated differently than the white students at other schools, Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in school and later went on to college and received a very good education.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister at a church. He began preaching things that people often didn't hear. He preached that people must learn to live together and that they should not judge other people by the color of their skin. Most importantly, Martin Luther King Jr. did exactly as he told the church people to do.

Martin Luther King Jr. led a boycott that lasted 382 days. He wanted both white and black people to ride on the city buses as equals. In 1956, the Supreme Court made new laws so people riding on the bus would be treated equally. Martin Luther King Jr. also traveled around the nation giving speeches and writing books and articles. He led a protest in Alabama and a peaceful march in Washington D.C. where he gave a very famous speech, beginning with, "I Have a Dream."

This wasn't always easy for Martin Luther King Jr. He was arrested at least twenty times and beaten up at least four times, but he also received a lot of positive support. Time magazine named him "Man of the Year" in 1963. In 1964, at the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel peace prize. He was not only a wonderful leader, but a wonderful man.

Some people still had hate in their hearts towards Martin Luther King Jr. On April 4, 1968, somebody shot and killed him while he was on the balcony of his hotel room in Tennessee . Written on his gravestone are the words from a spiritual statement he had repeated at one of his speeches, "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last."

Words to Know:

Boycott: To stop using, buying, or doing something in protest to change someone's mind

Discrimination: being treated differently because of race

Segregation: Separating people of different races or ethnic groups in schools, housing, and public areas

Equal: Having the same quality or value as another

Protest: An organized public display of disapproval

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