Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a well known man in many cultures of the world. Dr. King was and still is one of the most influential heroes in American history. King's views and beliefs, which were similar to the non-violent ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, helped African Americans through the 50's and 60's obtain the rights and liberties that was their birth right. King faced many obstacles on his quest like jail and even assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, he became a successful leader during the Civil Rights Movement, and even after his death, by guiding African Americans in a non-violent and positive direction for the fight to secure rights and equality. These reasons make Martin Luther King worthy enough of the title "hero."

Martin Luther King was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Martin Luther King, Jr. Chronology) Michael Luther King was King's original named before he had it changed. King was a well-educated man who went to high school in Georgia and attended

Morehouse College, at the age of 15. He later continued his studies at Boston University, receiving his doctoral degree in Philosophy in Systematic Theology. While in Boston he met the woman that he would marry, Coretta Scott. King's unrelenting and effective leadership role and his success in the protest for desegregation of buses, made him one of the prime leaders of the civil rights movement. King also led one of the biggest, peaceful, marches in Washington, D.C.. About a quarter of a million people, of all races, joined this march, along with many musicians and artists. This was also where King's "I Have A Dream" speech was delivered. King was the youngest man, at the age of thirty five, to win the Noble Peace Prize. King also wrote five books and he wrote many articles.(Martin Luther King - Biography) King's leadership was tragically ended when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on a motel balcony. King was only thirty-nine, and his assassin was never found.

To obtain rights and liberties for African Americans, many actions must be taken. A leader must take responsibility and lead a nation of people to a successful victory. King did just that. King formed many groups and became president of others. Groups such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and many other groups that had relationships with those groups.