Martin Luther Kings Impact On The Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American priest, activist, and important leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement. His main hope was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States, and he has become a human rights icon. King was a Baptist minister and activist. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. There, he raised public knowledge of the Civil Rights movement and made himself as one of the greatest speakers in U.S. history. Born in the early part of the 20th century in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Jr. was†¦show more content†¦Upset by the news of his grandmother s death, he attempted to commit suicide by jumping out of the second story window of his family s home. King was a very bright child. He attended Booker T. Washington High school where he skipped the 9th and 11th grades, eventually going to Morehouse College at the age of fifteen. In 1948, Martin Luther King, Jr. earned a sociology degree from Morehouse College. King enrolled at Boston University where he met his soon-to-be wife Coretta Scott. They were married in June 1953 and had four children: Yolanda, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott and Bernice. In 1954, King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama. King was awarded his Bachelor of Divinity in 1955 at the age of twenty-five. On December 1, 1955, a 42-year-old black woman refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This woman was named Rosa Parks. At the time, black people were required to sit at the back of the bus. Rosa was arrested for her refusal to move and was later found guilty in a court of law. When this happened, King and several other Civil Rights activists planned to have a city-wide bus boycott. Martin was elected to be in charge of this boycott. On December 5, 1955, the bus boycott began and 90% of Montgomery s African-American citizens stayed off of city buses. As a result of the boycott, the city lost money. Over a year later, on December 20, 1956, the city gave in and allowed black people to sitShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King’s Quest for Equality1340 Words   |  5 PagesKing’s Quest for Equality Martin Luther King Jr. had a substantial impact on how the United States views civil rights. During his lifetime, Martin became highly educated and used his knowledge to help others in a positive way. King was not only an influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement, but also a catalyst and a leading figure of the 1960s. 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