Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes to the United States of America. Dr. King’s concept of “somebodyness”, which symbolized the celebration of human worth and the conquest of subjugation, gave black and poor people hope and a sense of dignity. His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his strategies for rational social change, galvanized the conscience of the United States and reordered its priorities.
Dr. King was a pivotal character in the Civil Rights Movement. He was president of the organization responsible for the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 which lasted 381 days and was arrested thirty times for his participation in civil rights activities. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at the age of 35 - the youngest man, second U.S. citizen and third black man to be so honored. In 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. King was shot while helping to lead sanitation workers in a protest against low wages and intolerable working conditions.
