Martin Luther King Jr.

          On January 15, 1929, a great African-American man was born. He was originally named Michael King Jr., but his name was changed with his father’s in honor of Martin Luther, the German Protestant, when King Jr. went to Germany with his family. King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia where he went to Booker T. Washington High School. At the age of 25, he became a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama.

          Later in his life, King Jr. became a firm and ardent supporter of the Civil Rights Movement for African-Americans. King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and as a result his house was bombed. He led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference until he died. He supported the Albany Movement which fought against segregation, and he was thrown in jail. He was a leader of the March on Washington where he gave his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the largest group of protestors in the

history of Washington D.C. He opposed the Vietnam War, organized the “Poor People’s Campaign,” and spoke for African-Americans rights countless times. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to fighting for what he believed in and granting all people the same rights until he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on March 29, 1968. King Jr. encouraged and brought about great change and deeply struggled to see this change come about, and he will always be remembered.