thedrifter
01-14-06, 07:09 AM
January 13, 2006
Preserving the Legacy, Fulfilling the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Tia Bracey
Henderson Hall News
"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," a dream proclaimed from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the delivery of his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. This speech was one of the most passionate speeches given during his career.
Born Michael Luther King (his named later changed to "Martin") Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta (Williams) King. One of three children, his father was the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and his mother was a schoolteacher. King learned at a young age that one's skin color played a huge role in their lifestyle. As a youngster, he encountered drinking from different water fountains than his white friends, attending different schools and refusal to some places such as restaurants and restrooms.
Upon completion of local segregated grammar and high schools, King enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1944 at the age of fifteen. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1948, and then attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa. where he was awarded his Bachelor of Divinity in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his coursework for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. During the pursuit of his higher education in Boston he met Coretta Scott, whom he later married on June18, 1953 and together they bore two sons and two daughters.
Returning to the South in 1954, King took over pastoral duties of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. In Alabama, he began taking strides that would embark into the journey of his life as a noted activist in the civil rights movement. King mobilized the black community during a 382-day boycott of the city's bus lines. Throughout this journey, King faced arrests, violent harassment, including the bombing of is home. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional.
An advocate for equality, Dr. King was devoted to eliminating racial woes in America. A national hero and a civil rights figure of growing importance, King summoned together a number of black leaders in 1957 and laid the groundwork for the organization now known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King was elected its president, and he soon began helping other communities organize their own protests against discrimination.
A non-violent revolutionary, he radically fought to change the racial atmosphere through his perseverance, dedication and determination. An admirer of Ghandi's passive resistance, King developed his tactics of non-violence from Mohandas K. Ghandi. In 1958, he published his first book "Stride Toward Freedom," on his recollections of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
King continued to arduously work on obtaining equality for blacks. He met with President John F. Kennedy in 1962, as well as delivering his trademark speeches.
After his address during the March on Washington, Time Magazine designated him as its Person of the Year for 1963, and a few months later he was named recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and traveled to Norway to accept the award.
Adding to King's achievements, former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The most sweeping civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The law also provides the federal government with the powers to enforce desegregation.
Continuing to pursue multiple challenges and lending his support to the Memphis sanitation men's strike to discourage violence, and focus national attention on the plight of the poor, unorganized workers of the city and aiding the men in bargaining for basic union representation and long-overdue raises; untimely, death came for King on April 4, 1968. While standing outside with Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine Hotel just off Beale Street, King was shot in the neck by a rifle bullet. His death caused a wave of violence in major cities across the country. A visionary - a leader, his dream lives on. In his remembrance, various activities will take place celebrating his legacy.
Ellie
Preserving the Legacy, Fulfilling the Dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Tia Bracey
Henderson Hall News
"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," a dream proclaimed from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the delivery of his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. This speech was one of the most passionate speeches given during his career.
Born Michael Luther King (his named later changed to "Martin") Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta to Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta (Williams) King. One of three children, his father was the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and his mother was a schoolteacher. King learned at a young age that one's skin color played a huge role in their lifestyle. As a youngster, he encountered drinking from different water fountains than his white friends, attending different schools and refusal to some places such as restaurants and restrooms.
Upon completion of local segregated grammar and high schools, King enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1944 at the age of fifteen. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1948, and then attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa. where he was awarded his Bachelor of Divinity in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his coursework for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. During the pursuit of his higher education in Boston he met Coretta Scott, whom he later married on June18, 1953 and together they bore two sons and two daughters.
Returning to the South in 1954, King took over pastoral duties of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. In Alabama, he began taking strides that would embark into the journey of his life as a noted activist in the civil rights movement. King mobilized the black community during a 382-day boycott of the city's bus lines. Throughout this journey, King faced arrests, violent harassment, including the bombing of is home. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional.
An advocate for equality, Dr. King was devoted to eliminating racial woes in America. A national hero and a civil rights figure of growing importance, King summoned together a number of black leaders in 1957 and laid the groundwork for the organization now known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King was elected its president, and he soon began helping other communities organize their own protests against discrimination.
A non-violent revolutionary, he radically fought to change the racial atmosphere through his perseverance, dedication and determination. An admirer of Ghandi's passive resistance, King developed his tactics of non-violence from Mohandas K. Ghandi. In 1958, he published his first book "Stride Toward Freedom," on his recollections of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
King continued to arduously work on obtaining equality for blacks. He met with President John F. Kennedy in 1962, as well as delivering his trademark speeches.
After his address during the March on Washington, Time Magazine designated him as its Person of the Year for 1963, and a few months later he was named recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and traveled to Norway to accept the award.
Adding to King's achievements, former President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The most sweeping civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The law also provides the federal government with the powers to enforce desegregation.
Continuing to pursue multiple challenges and lending his support to the Memphis sanitation men's strike to discourage violence, and focus national attention on the plight of the poor, unorganized workers of the city and aiding the men in bargaining for basic union representation and long-overdue raises; untimely, death came for King on April 4, 1968. While standing outside with Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine Hotel just off Beale Street, King was shot in the neck by a rifle bullet. His death caused a wave of violence in major cities across the country. A visionary - a leader, his dream lives on. In his remembrance, various activities will take place celebrating his legacy.
Ellie