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Martin Luther King Jr. Essay

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The Voice of Civil Rights There were many people throughout the history of the United States that helped to get equality for African Americans; however, one man's voice moved an entire race. That one man is Martin Luther King, Jr. He has a way of making you listen when he speaks and of making you understand his ideas. Many people did listen and he motivated a whole race of people to strive with him on his quest for equality. The events in his life from early life, civil rights, and later life led him to be one of the most powerful people in the movement towards civil rights. Martin Luther King, JR., was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929 to Martin Luther King and Alberta Williams King. He was the middle child. He had an …show more content…

He fell in love with her and Martin's father married them on January 18, 1953, at Coretta's home in Alabama. They would go on to have four children, Yolanda, Dexter, Martin, and Bernice. In 1954 King was offered the Pastoral ship at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. His father installed him pastor on October 31, 1954. (Michael) The start of King's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement began in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and was jailed. Community leaders formed the Montgomery Improvement Association and asked King to be the leader. The organization would urge blacks to boycott the buses and use other means of transportation. The boycott lasted 381 days. On November 13, 1956 the Supreme Court declared that Alabama's bus segregation was unconstitutional and on December 21, 1956 buses were desegregated. (Michael). Due to his involvement in civil rights terrorists would bomb his home and threaten him by phone and through letters. Despite this King stood by nonviolent ways and studied Gandhi's techniques during a trip to India. With the help of other black minister King organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as president for the rest of his life. It helped promote nonviolence and black equality. The SCLC worked for voter registration, political education, leadership training, education in nonviolent methods, and economic development

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