Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a driving force behind the American civil rights movement, becoming one of the most influential civil rights activists for African Americans in the mid-1950s before being assassinated in 1968. In 1957 King founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) after successfully leading the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to force desegregation of the city’s buses. The SCLC was committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protests. With the SCLC, King traveled across the world giving lectures on nonviolent protests and civil rights. Throughout his travels he engaged with communities, leaving a long-lasting impact in the fight for African American civil rights. 

Landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act would not have been possible without nonviolent and peaceful protests like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington. King worked with several civil rights and religious groups to organize the march to shine a light on the injustices African Americans faced across the country. King gave his most famous address at the march, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech and march cemented King’s reputation as he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME magazine and in 1964 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Shock waves reverberated around the world on April 4, 1968, when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while supporting a sanitation workers’ strike. His assassination was felt by all, but sparked anger among African Americans as they viewed this act as a rejection of their pursuit of equality through the nonviolent resistance King had championed. The nation mourned his death, which ultimately helped speed the way for an equal housing bill that would be the last significant legislative achievement of the civil rights era. To this day, we honor Martin Luther King Jr. every year on the third Monday in January, and his impacting legacy on race relations in the United States.  

“We have more to do to bring Dr. King’s dream within reach of all our daughters and sons. We must stand together for good jobs, fair wages, safe neighborhoods, and quality education. With one voice, we must ensure the scales of justice work equally for all — considering not only how justice is applied, but also how it is perceived and experienced. As Dr. King told us, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and this remains our great unfinished business.” – President Barack Obama