Today, January 20, marks the 5th day after the Great Martin Luther King would have turned 85. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, incorruptible, and charismatic leaders of all time. He led the civil rights movements, integrated American Society, and left a lasting legacy for centuries to come. So in honor of this mans 85th birthday, lets recount, and remember all of his achievements.
Martin Luther King Jr. was actually named Michael King at the time of his birth, but his father renamed the future activist Martin Luther King, in honor of the German reformer, Martin Luther. He was a middle child, and grew up in Atlanta. He skipped both the 9th and 12th grade, which indicated of his sheer academic talent. He attended Morehouse College, and became a pastor at the young age of 25. As he grew up, he became more and more disheartened by the blatant racism and segregation that African Americans faced. Thus, in the early 1940's, King decided to devote his life towards ending segregation. Using Mahatma Ghandi as inspiration, he began to devise a way to organize nonviolent protests, which would hopefully end racism.
It all started with the Montgomery bus boycotts of 1955. King, with the support of President Nixon, organized a boycott of all Montgomery buses for 385 days, The boycott would not be lifted until blacks were given equal seating rights as whites. His tactic worked, the bus system lost millions of dollars, and the segregation on buses ended. This boycott transformed King into an international figurehead for the Civil Rights Movement. This was the first of many marches that King led, all of which protested the blatant segregation of African Americans, as well as the treatment of blacks as second class citizens. He was arrested for a grand total of 29 times, as a result of his nonviolent protests.
This all leads up to the 1963 March on Washington. It was at this protest, that King delivered the infamous "I have a dream" speech. What is most impressive, is that the speech was almost entirely impromptu. This showed how much of a masterful orator that King really was. This speech is widely regarded as one of the finest speeches ever given in the history of mankind.
On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King was shot dead at the Lorraine Motel. King was soon pronounced dead at St. Josephs Hospital, at 7:05 a.m. America had lost one of its greatest leaders. However, his legacy still lives on. His work, his actions, and his heart are still seen today. And we must never forget one of the the greatest leaders, activists, and humanitarians, to have ever walked upon this earth.
Take Care,
Political Police
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