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TonyJ.Robinson
ProfessorVG
English11
3March2015
DoctorMartinLutherKingJr.
O
nJanuary15,1929,alegendwasbornnotevenknowingthathewasgoingtochange
theworldforever.BornasMichaelLutherKingJr.manyyearslater,hehadchangedhisname
MartinLutherKingJr.Fromhimbeingaroundalotofracistpeople,hewasconfusedthathe
couldntuseacertainbathroomorawaterfountain.Hewantedthattochangehewantedto
makeadifferenceinthisworldsoallpeoplecouldgotothesameschool,learnthesamethings,
andwalkthestreetstogetherwithoutgettinglookedatanydifferentlyfromapersonthathasa
differentskincolor.WhenhewasinBoston,MartinmetandmarriedCorettaScott,ayoung
womanofuncommonintellectualandartisticattainments.ThatswhyweknowherasCoretta
ScottKing.Theyhavetwosonsandtwodaughterswerebornintothefamily(MartinLuther
KingJr.).
In1954,MartinLutherKingbecamepastoroftheDexterAvenueBaptistChurchin
Montgomery,Alabama.Alwaysastrongworkerforcivilrightsformembersofhisrace,
Kingwas,bythistime,amemberoftheexecutivecommitteeoftheNationalAssociation
fortheAdvancementofColoredPeople,theleadingorganizationofitskindinthenation.
(MartinLutherKingJr.)

InDecember,1955,hewasreadytoaccepttheleadershiproleofthefirstNegro
nonviolentdemonstrationofcontemporarytimesintheUnitedStates.DoctorKingtoldthe

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blacksinthecommunitytoboycottthebussystem.Thisactwasdescribeasfoolishbymany
whiteleaders.Theboycottlasted382days.OnDecember21,1956,aftertheSupremeCourtof
theUnitedStateshaddeclaredunconstitutionalthelawsrequiringsegregationonbuses,Negroes
andwhitesrodethebusesasequals(MartinLutherKingJr.).Throughthespanofthe382days
MartinLutherKingwasarrested,hishousewasbombedbymanywhitesandhewassubjectedto
personalabuse.Duringthesedaysofboycott,Kingwasarrested,hishomewasbombed,hewas
subjectedtopersonalabuse,butatthesametimeheemergedasa
Negroleaderofthefirst
rank(MartinLutherKingJr.).

Attheageof35,MartinLutherKing,Jr.wastheyoungestmantohavereceivedthe
NobelPeacePrize.Whennotifiedofhisselection,heannouncedthathewouldturnoverthe
prizemoneyof$54,123tofurtherthecivilrightsmovement(MartinLutherKingJr.).

OneofthemostfamousspeechesoftheworldcamefromDoctorKinghimself.Hemade
alotofspeechesinhisday,butnonelikethisonefamousone.IHaveaDreambyMartin
LutherKingJr.isoneofthemostfamousinspiringspeechesofthe20stcentury.MLKsaidthat
abigpartoftheIHaveaDreamspeechwasDarknesscannotdriveoutdarknessonlylight
candothat.Hatecannotdriveouthateonlylovecandothat.(BrainyQuotes)
IhaveadreamthatonedayontheredhillsofGeorgia,thesonsofformerslavesandthe
sonsofformerslaveownerswillbeabletositdowntogetheratthetableofbrotherhood.
IhaveadreamthatonedayeventhestateofMississippi,astateswelteringwiththeheat
ofinjustice,swelteringwiththeheatofoppression,willbetransformedintoanoasisof
freedomandjustice.Ihaveadreamthatmyfourlittlechildrenwillonedayliveina
nationwheretheywillnotbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheir
character.Ihavea
dream
today!
Ihaveadreamthatoneday,downinAlabama,withitsviciousracists,withitsgovernor
havinghislipsdrippingwiththewordsof"interposition"and"nullification"oneday
rightthereinAlabamalittleblackboysandblackgirlswillbeabletojoinhandswith

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littlewhiteboysandwhitegirlsassistersandbrothers.
Mycountry'tisofthee,sweetland
ofliberty,oftheeIsing.Landwheremyfathersdied,landofthePilgrim'spride,From
everymountainside,letfreedomring!Freeatlast!Freeatlast!
ThankGodAlmighty,wearefreeatlast!
(IHaveaDream)
OnDecember1,1955,theygotanotherchancetomaketheircase.Thatevening,
42yearold
RosaParks
boardedtheClevelandAvenuebustogohomefromanexhaustingday
atwork.Shesatinthefirstrowofthe"colored"sectioninthemiddleofthebus.Asthebus
traveleditsroute,alltheseatsitthewhitesectionfilledup,thenseveralmorewhitepassengers
boardedthebus.Thebusdrivernotedthattherewereseveralwhitemenstandinganddemanded
thatParksandseveralotherAfricanAmericansgiveuptheirseats.ThreeotherAfrican
Americanpassengersreluctantlygaveuptheirplaces,butParksremainedseated.
Thedriveraskedheragaintogiveupherseatandagainsherefused.Parkswasarrested
andbookedforviolatingtheMontgomeryCityCode.Athertrialaweeklater,ina
30minutehearing,Parkswasfoundguiltyandfined$10andassessed$4courtfee
(MartinLutherKingJr.Biography)

MartinleadamarchfromSelma,AlabamatothecapitalofMontgomery.Hewalkedwith
friends,family,kids,blacksandwhites.Hewalktofocusonitseffortstoregisterblackvotersin
thesouth.Theworldwatched,theprotestersachievedtheirgoalwalkingforthreedaystofinally
reachMontgomery.

OntheeveningofApril4,1968,whilestandingonthebalconyofhismotelroomin
Memphis,Tennesseewherehewastoleadaprotestmarchinsympathywithstrikinggarbage
workersofthatcity,hewasassassinated(MartinLutherKingJr.).
InFebruary1960,agroupofAfricanAmericanstudentsbeganwhatbecameknownas
the"sitin"movementinGreensboro,NorthCarolina.Thestudentswouldsitatracially

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segregatedlunchcountersinthecity'sstores.Whenaskedtoleaveorsitinthecoloredsection,
theyjustremainedseated,subjectingthemselvestoverbalandsometimesphysicalabuse.The
movementquicklygainedtractioninseveralothercities.InApril1960,theSCLChelda
conferenceatShawUniversityinRaleigh,NorthCarolinawithlocalsitinleaders.MartinLuther
KingJr.encouragedstudentstocontinuetousenonviolentmethodsduringtheirprotests.By
1960,MartinLutherKingJr.wasgainingnationalnotoriety.HereturnedtoAtlantatobecome
copastorwithhisfatheratEbenezerBaptistChurch,butalsocontinuedhiscivilrightsefforts.
(MartinLutherKingJr.).
Realizingtheincidentwouldhurtthecity'sreputation,Atlanta'smayornegotiatedatruce
andchargeswereeventuallydropped.Butsoonafter,Kingwasimprisonedforviolating
hisprobationonatrafficconviction.Thenewsofhisimprisonmententeredthe1960
presidentialcampaign,whencandidate
JohnF.Kennedy
madeaphonecalltoCoretta
ScottKing.KennedyexpressedhisconcernforKing'sharshtreatmentforthetraffic
ticketandpoliticalpressurewasquicklysetinmotion.Kingwassoonreleased.(Martin
LutherKingJr.)

"Ihaveadreamthatmyfourchildrenwillonedayliveinanationwheretheywillnotbejudged
bythecoloroftheirskinbutbythecontentoftheircharacter."MartinLutherKing,Jr.
King'sstrugglecontinuedthroughoutthe1960s.Often,itseemedasthoughthepatternof
progresswastwostepsforwardandonestepback.OnMarch7,1965,acivilrights
march,plannedfromSelmatoAlabama'scapitalinMontgomery,turnedviolentaspolice
withnightsticksandteargasmetthedemonstratorsastheytriedtocrosstheEdmond
PettusBridge.Kingwasnotinthemarch,howevertheattackwastelevisedshowing
horrifyingimagesofmarchersbeingbloodiedandseverelyinjured.Seventeen
demonstratorswerehospitalizedleadingtothenamingtheevent"BloodySunday."A
secondmarchwascancelledduetoarestrainingordertopreventthemarchfromtaking
place.AthirdmarchwasplannedandthistimeKingmadesurehewasonit.Notwanting
toalienatesouthernjudgesbyviolatingtherestrainingorder,adifferenttactwastaken.(
MartinLutherKingJr.)

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FinallyMartinLutherKingwasagreatguytolookuptoo.Hechangetheworldwithhis
powerfulspeechesandwords.alegendwasbornnotevenknowingthathewasgoingtochange
theworldforever.BornasMichaelLutherKingJr.manyyearslater,hehadchangedhisname
MartinLutherKingJr.Fromhimbeingaroundalotofracistpeople,hewasconfusedthathe
couldntuseacertainbathroomorawaterfountain.Hewantedthattochangehewantedto
makeadifferenceinthisworldsoallpeoplecouldgotothesameschool,learnthesamethings,
andwalkthestreetstogetherwithoutgettinglookedatanydifferentlyfromapersonthathasa
differentskincolor.

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"MartinLutherKing,Jr.Quotes."
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.Xplore,n.d.Web.11Feb.2015.

"MartinLutherKingJr."
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