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Known for
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Leading the civil rights movement in the United States
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Advocating nonviolent protest against segregation and racial discrimination
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Milestones
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1954 Selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama
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1955 Received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University
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1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama, buses
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1957 Helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
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1958 Published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story |
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1963 Wrote 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws
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1963 Delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to civil rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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1964 Won the Nobel Peace Prize
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1965 Organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation
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1968 Was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
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Quote
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'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.' August, 1963, in a speech to civil rights supporters at the March on Washington.
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Did You Know
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King's nonviolent doctrine was strongly influenced by the teachings of Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi.
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In 1964, King became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine's Man of the Year.
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King's efforts were not limited to securing civil rights; he also spoke out against poverty and the Vietnam War.
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