Martin Luther King, Jr. was brought into this worldas Michael Luther on January 15, 1929 . Later on, he wanted to be called Martin. As an African-American minister and a belligerent leader, people looked up to him as he fought for the rights of the African-American society.

He was brought up in the Southern part of America when the African-American society was seen as nothing but slaves . He enrolled and graduated from public school in Georgia at fifteen . He took up Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and completed in 1948 from Morehouse College, an acknowledged African-American Institute where his grandfather and father also finished up their studies.

He was enrolled in graduate school found in Boston when he met his wife, Coretta Scott, a prominent and influential woman in her time who understood Martin's purpose in the African-American society . It didn't take them much time before they tied the knot and started a family.

Martin continued his family's legacy and joined his father and grandfather's church, Ebenezer Baptist Church. He served his church as his father's protégé until he died . Not only is he an icon of civil rights but 2 Christian churches in America acknowledged him as a martyr.

A march for peace and prosperity was held on August 28, 1963 in Washington . He gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to more than 250,000 people who gathered to hear the famous national speaker from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. Before the year ended, Time magazine proclaimed him 'Man of the Year'.


He was taken into custody countless times and the center of death threats. After one of his arrests, he wrote the famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, narrating his beliefs and hopes for the future of America. The US Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to the protests spearheaded by Martin Luther King, Jr. himself. This act made it illegal to treat African Americans or other ethnic groups unfairly.


For his endless effort to abolish prejudice and unfair treatment to African-American and other ethnic cultures, Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964. In the spring of 1968, he travelled to Memphis, Tennessee to lead the protest in support of African American garbage workers to give them better working conditions. It was at this time he was shot by the ruthless hands of James Earl Ray.

Martin Luther King, Jr. will always be remembered for his unselfish devotion to raise public consciousness in America and the peaceful means he used to make the changes. Every year, Martin Luther King, Jr Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. This MLK Day, take a moment to remember how one life, devoted to the good of others, can make a huge impact on the world.

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