MLK Monday
On Monday, the country will recognize the Martin Luther King Junior holiday. The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior was a pastor, crusader and the youngest man ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His name has become synonymous with the civil rights struggle.
King was born January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, where his father was the pastor of a Baptist church. He enrolled in Morehouse College at age 15, and found his calling. Even before graduating with a sociology degree, he was ordained a minister. He learned of Mahatma Gandhi and read about the Indian leader's pacifist philosophy. In 1955, King earned a P-h-D in theology from Boston University.
King became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. At a time when racial segregation was still the law in Southern states, he became involved in local civil rights efforts that became a national movement.
On August 28th, 1963, a quarter-million people marched on Washington, D-C to demand equality in civil rights heard his "I Have a Dream" speech. From the Lincoln Memorial, King said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident -- that all men are created equal." Two decades after that momentous speech, the third Monday in January was made a federal holiday commemorating his birthday. Since the first observance on January 20th, 1986, it has been an occasion for people to remember King's life and re-dedicate themselves to achieving that dream.
In 1964, at age 35, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1968, King went to Memphis, Tennessee to support a strike by sanitation workers, most of whom were black. On April 4th, he was assassinated while standing on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel. His death sparked riots across America. The Lorraine has since been converted into a national civil rights museum.
King was born January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, where his father was the pastor of a Baptist church. He enrolled in Morehouse College at age 15, and found his calling. Even before graduating with a sociology degree, he was ordained a minister. He learned of Mahatma Gandhi and read about the Indian leader's pacifist philosophy. In 1955, King earned a P-h-D in theology from Boston University.
King became the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. At a time when racial segregation was still the law in Southern states, he became involved in local civil rights efforts that became a national movement.
On August 28th, 1963, a quarter-million people marched on Washington, D-C to demand equality in civil rights heard his "I Have a Dream" speech. From the Lincoln Memorial, King said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident -- that all men are created equal." Two decades after that momentous speech, the third Monday in January was made a federal holiday commemorating his birthday. Since the first observance on January 20th, 1986, it has been an occasion for people to remember King's life and re-dedicate themselves to achieving that dream.
In 1964, at age 35, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 1968, King went to Memphis, Tennessee to support a strike by sanitation workers, most of whom were black. On April 4th, he was assassinated while standing on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel. His death sparked riots across America. The Lorraine has since been converted into a national civil rights museum.
posted by Tommie Closson at 7:28 AM
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