History’s pages are filled with great and diverse personalities. Great conquerers have secured their place in history, whether for good or not. Hitler, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar have all made their mark on history. However, the great historical figures need not overrun entire continents and carve out great empires to be remembered. One of the great “non-conquerers” of history is Martin Luther King Jr. He boldly led African-Americans towards civil liberty and meanwhile, set an example to those seeking to end injustice. One of the marks of a great man (or woman) is the longevity of their goals. For King, his goal of racial equality, his Dream, lived on after his death. When dreams outlive men, it is clear that the dream is extraordinary.
MLK was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, to Martin Sr. and Alberta King. Being born an African-American in the South he was immediately introduced to the racial situation of the time. After attending Morehouse College, and Crozer Theological Seminary, MLK married Coretta Scott in 1953. He became a pastor in Alabama soon after. His political activism was based heavily on the teachings of Jesus. MLK’s Christianity was at the forefront of the movement to end injustice and racial inequality. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent resistance model Was also fundamental to King’s activism. Gandhi had proved that people could successfully lobby for their rights without rising up in rebellion or by inciting riots. King recognized this as well and based his resistance model after Gandhi’s.
In 1955, King became part of one of the most iconic events of the Civil Rights Movement: the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The purpose of the boycott was to protest the rule that African-Americans had to give up the seats at the front of a bus for whites. Rosa Parks was also at the forefront of this boycott. King was arrested and his house was bombed but eventually, the rule was revoked and King became a nationally renown activist for Civil Rights.
King is, perhaps most famous, for his March on Washington in 1963. The march culminated in a King speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was this speech which would set King amongst the greatest orators in history. His “I Have A Dream” speech became revolutionary. In the speech, King declared that he had “a dream” that “one day” his children would be judged based on character traits and not based on skin color.
Although King was a popular activist among the African-American community, he faced serious opposition. On April 4, 1968, King was shot on the balcony of a Memphis motel. His journey to Memphis had been complicated by a bomb threat. In his last speech, “I’ve Been To the Mountaintop”, King declared that he had “seen the promised land” and like Moses, was unsure if he himself would live to see the day of racial equality. But, no matter what, he told his audience, “I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the Lord.”
Here are some quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”