Martin Luther King Jr Research Paper

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King had a dream that changed the world. He stated, “ If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” (Bright Drops 1). Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to the parents of Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He graduated high school at fifteen, attended college and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 from Morehouse College. He studied in the field of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. In 1951 he was awarded the Bachelor of Divinity award. Then he graduated from Boston University and while he was at Boston he met Coretta Scott. She was intellectual and artistic. They eventually got married
and had two sons and two daughters. Martin Luther KIng Jr.’s grandfather was a pastor for the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He served from 1914 to 1931. Then Martin's dad became the pastor and Martin became the co-pastor tell his dad passed away. In 1954, Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Martin also was one of the youngest men to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (The Nobel Foundation 1). On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, he was assassinated. Dr. King was an inspiration to many people, an advocate for peace and many people are living out his dream today. One way Martin Luther King Jr.
inspired many people was by leading boycotts. The definition of a boycott is when people abstain from buying or using certain products till they get what they want. This would make companies lose a lot of money. One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous boycott was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It lasted 382 days, starting on December 1, 1955 and ending on December 20, 1956. Fifty thousand people didn’t ride the bus through this time period ("Civil Rights" 1). Instead they figured out other ways to get places. Another way Martin Luther King Jr. inspired many people was through his many speeches like “ I Have a Dream”, “Loving your Enemies”, “Beyond Vietnam” and many more. The definition of a speech is the ability to express thoughts and feelings in a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience. One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speeches was given on September 12, 1962 at Park-Sheraton Hotel in New York City. This quote came from that speech “ Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” (Glossophilia 1). These words have motivated many individuals to take the first step toward their goals even when they don’t know what the outcome will be and to carry on to the end. Finally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired many people by organizing marches. The definition of a march is a street protest with a mass group of people in favor of a specific cause. They usually walk in march formation
and end at a designated spot in order to have a rally or to hear a speaker. One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous marches is “The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. It took place on August 28, 1968. A quarter of a million people marched with him in support of civil rights for all Americans. The demonstrators marched their way from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, and then listened to Martin Luther King Jr deliver his most famous speech “ I have a Dream” (Nammour 1). Martin Luther King Jr.
brought people together for peace by first providing leadership for the African American civil rights movement. The African American civil rights movement is the movement to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. was part of the African American Civil Rights movement from mid 1950’s until he died in 1968. He gave over fifty four thousand dollars to the African American civil rights movement (The Nobel Foundation 1). Secondly, Martin Luther King Jr brought people together for peace by creating publicity for major civil rights activities and efforts. He encouraged the importance of non-violent protests and resistance. For an example, black sanitation workers in Memphis were discriminated against when they were sent home without pay while white workers stayed on the job. Martin Luther King Jr. helped them form a strike that began on on February 12, 1968. There were 1,300 workers and the strike lasted 64 days. When it ended on April 12, 1968, the workers got what they demanded which was higher wages and union recognition ("Civil Rights" 1). Lastly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocated peace by encouraging the importance of nonviolent protests and resistance. He was instrumental in establishing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, which was a civil rights organization that supported the philosophy of nonviolence ("Civil Rights" 1). Non violent resistance means neither
cowardice nor doe it mean doing nothing. It means standing up for what you believe in a powerful but peaceful way (Mercer and Beckett 1). Martin lead the Albany movement to protest city segregation policies. He also lead the Birmingham campaign to boycott companies who segregate against black and whites. Furthermore, he denounced the Vietnam War all for the cause of peace (Mach 1-8). Martin Luther King Jr. has influenced many people including myself. Consequently, many people are living out Martin Luther King Jr.s dreams. Because of his efforts, laws that have been passed that have changed the world. They are as follows:
Civil Rights Act of 1964 - This banned discrimination in employment and public accommodations based on "race, color, religion, or national origin".
Voting Rights Act of 1965 - This act restored and protected the right to vote.
Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 - This allows immigration from groups other than those from the traditional European countries.
Fair Housing Act of 1968 - This banned housing discrimination for sales or rentals ("Civil Rights" 1).
Martin Luther King Jr. states “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”(King 4). I have a responsibility to keep his dream alive. I am fulfilling this by treating everyone as my equal. For instance, there was a young man on my baseball team who was disabled. Although his hand wasn’t formed right our team still let him play and cheered him on. Another way I fulfill Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is by being a leader at school. I am involved in student council and I am a leader for my youth group in church. I care about what people have to say and I don’t judge them by the color of their skin. I stand up for what I believe ,which is... we are all human beings and we should all be treated the same no matter what our race or nationality is.
Martin Luther King Jr. did many things to bring greater equality to America and to ensure civil rights for all people regardless of race. Dr. King was a motivator who brought people together for the cause of peace. and equality. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led Marches like the March on Washington, gave speeches like “I Have a Dream”, lead boycotts like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and helped us all understand that we all deserve the same basic rights. I challenge all of us to keep his dream alive.