Ellie;+Martin+Luther+King+Jr.

=Martin Luther King Jr.= http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/biography/

-Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929. -In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. -At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. -He was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, on the balcony of his motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

I think learning about Martin Luther King Jr. was important because many people only know very few things about him. It is interesting to find out, in greater detail, about his life. He did much more than make the "I have a dream" speech. He helped change the world for the better of all people.

Ms. Werner English 10 Hour 3 October 29th, 2008 Biography

Martin Luther King Jr. “King traveled back and fourth across the South, giving more than two hundred speeches in 1957

alone” (an imprint of Gale research, 58). Martin Luther King was inspirational because he talked to

blacks around the country about equality, he started out as a minister and preached to people all

around, and he always fought for what he believed was right. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929, and died on April 4th, 1968. Growing up, he had a mother, a father, and two siblings. His father was the minister at their church. As Martin Luther King Jr. grew older, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and also become a minister. He was also a civil rights leader. He and his family were very dedicated to help influence blacks to fight for equality. He married Coretta Scott on June 18th, 1953. “During their life together, she was his helpmate, raising their four children while supporting his efforts to promote nonviolent social change in race relations during the tumultuous 1950s and 1960s” ( The New Georgia Encyclopedia). Martin Luther King Jr., with the help of his wife, preached his beliefs to many. King was an inspirational leader because he took the time to talk to blacks across the country about their equality with whites. He traveled to many different places giving all kinds of speeches. He believed that segregation was ridiculous, and did not believe in the saying “separate but equal”. When Martin Luther King Jr. became a southern minister, he preached to people about his beliefs. After time, people came to realize the way they were living, and how unfairly they were treated. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t think it was necessary to have blacks and whites be separated, and it wasn’t. “There were WHITES ONLY signs on Coke machines, water fountains, and over doorways” (Haskins 25). Martin Luther King Jr. had his own beliefs, but he wanted to become a minister, and spread his word. Martin Luther King Jr. started his early adult years as a southern minister preaching to others. Many say he had a positive attitude towards things. He also preached with emotion, so people really understood what he was saying. He had a good connection with his people. His preaching gathered all people. People of all races and color came to him. He was an inspiring man to many. “In September 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, to become only the second black American so honored” (Haskins 88). He was awarded this prize, partially because of his preaching. He preached about what he felt was right, and part of what he wanted, was peace among people. Martin Luther King Jr. always fought for what he believed was right. He never let anyone get in the way of his beliefs. He felt very strongly about the way life was going for African Americans and wanted change. He believed that segregation was wrong; that people should never have to be separated by their race. Racism was not right, and there needed to be equality among all people. He believed in all of this and so he spread his word across several areas. As word got out and spread farther and farther out, he became more and more well-known. He never let anyone get in his way, and did the best that he could to help discrimination disappear once and for all. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. In outrage of the murder, many blacks went to the streets across the country in a massive wave of riots. His death struck anger across many citizens. “Dr. King's concept of //somebodiness// gave black and poor people a new sense of worth and dignity” (Louisiana State University, Martin Luther King Jr., A Biographical Sketch). Martin Luther King Jr. was a very inspirational man in history. He spread his beliefs about equality across the country. In his young adulthood, he started preaching to all different types of people and became well-known by many. He had very strong beliefs and always put in an effort to get his word out to as many people as he could. King was inspirational because of his strong beliefs, his preaching, and his efforts to have equality. “Martin Luther King Jr. has now been dead longer than he lived. But what an extraordinary life it was” (The Seattle Times Company). “That night, the Reverend King got down on his knees and thanked God for sending him such a son” (Haskins 27).

Works cited: 1. __Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.__ The Seattle Times Company. 17 October 2008. [|__http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/__]

2. Laura McCarty, Georgia Humanities Council. __The New Georgia Encyclopedia.__ 11 June 2007. 17 October 2008. [|__http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/HistoryArchaeology/SunbeltGeorgia/People-7&id=h-2519__]

3. James Haskins. __The Life and Death of Martin Luther King Jr.__ New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 1977.