On 4th April 1968, human rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Junior was shot dead by James Earl Ray in Memphis Tennessee. Let’s find out some more.
Who Was He?
Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was an American Baptist Minister. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a preacher. As a young man, King was extremely smart and skipped two grades in school.
How did he become involved in the Civil Rights Movement?
He first came to the public’s attention when he led what became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. A 15-year old black girl refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. For this, she was arrested and put in jail. Martin organised a boycott of the bus company which lasted for over 12 months. In the end, America’s Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal to separate black and white people on a bus.
How did he protest?
He believed in non-violent protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He also motivated others to join him through his speeches.
I have a Dream
In 1963, King helped organise 250,000 people to ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.’ There, he delivered his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, in which he expressed how he dreamt about a colour-blind America where black and white people would be equal. This became known as one of the finest speeches ever made in American history. One year later, the Civil Rights Act was passed. It outlaws’ discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex or national origin.
His death
James Earl Ray was found guilty of shooting Dr Martin Luther King Jnr. The whole world was shocked when it happened. It is said that Ray was a racist. The assassination led to race riots in many cities throughout America.
Since 1986, Martin Luther King Jnr Day has been a public holiday in America to commemorate one of America’s most famous civil rights activists.
Find out more: http://www.thekingcenter.org
Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr from a young person’s perspective. What do you think of his presentation skills?
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