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Martin Luther King Jr. devoted his life to fighting injustice on behalf of all Americans. But he didn’t believe in fighting with guns, tanks, or fists.
He believed in using peaceful means. He thought that positive words and ideas and nonviolent action could change the world. In 1955, he was a 26-year-old pastor at a Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama. He soon became the main leader in America’s civil rights movement. It was an effort to end discrimination in all forms against all groups. For the rest of his short life, he inspired people to fight for their rights using nonviolent means.
King paid a huge price for his vision. From 1956 until his death in 1968, he was arrested, stabbed, stoned, and finally assassinated. He loved his family, but he was often away from home. He traveled from town to town and state to state. He even went to Europe, Africa, and Asia to share his dream of peace and love.
“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. I have a dream today!”
◀ While in school, King learned about Mohandas Gandhi, who had used peaceful means to free India from British rule. Gandhi knew that he could not fight the British government with guns. So he led thousands of people to peacefully break unjust laws. Gandhi allowed himself to be arrested. He went without food for weeks to draw attention to his cause. He led thousands of people on marches. He taught people to boycott (not use) British goods, schools, courts, and offices. In the U.S., King used many of Gandhi’s teachings in his fight for civil rights.
▲ King spent most of his lifetime in the Deep South. He lived in Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama, and his major civil rights campaigns took place in three Alabama cities: Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
King was famous for his speech-making abilities. His style came from a long tradition in black preaching. He used biblical references, symbolic language, and emotional appeals to make his points. He also used a lively call-and-response delivery to persuade and excite people. ▶
Martin Luther King’s birthday is January 15. In 1986, it was declared a national holiday. Today, almost every city in America has a street or a park or a school named after him.
