Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of
the most important Civil Rights Movement leaders in United States of America
(USA) from 20th century. He
fought for the rights of Blacks or African Americans in USA. He was very much
inspired from the philosophy and ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. Hence, adhered to
the principle of non violence during his fight for the Blacks.
He was born on 15 January 1929 in
Atlanta city of Georgia. He came from highly educated family which was
associated with the Ebenezer Baptist Church from Atlanta city. He and his
family used to live in plush area of the city where Black people used to dwell.
Since his childhood Martin Luther
King Jr. experienced the racism. When Martin Luther King Jr. was a child his
white friend told him that his parents would not allow him to play with him due
to racism and segregation. It is said that he was very much attached to his
maternal grandmother, hence, when she died he was shattered.
When he went to Connecticut, a
northern state around the age of fifteen he came to know that in northern
states of United States there was quite liberal atmosphere as far as racism was
concerned. He saw that over there white and black people talk to each other freely
and could be seen together on many occasions. Not only so, even they prayed in
the same church. All these things were a
taboo in southern states of United States.
He became graduate from Morehouse
College in the year 1948. It was one of the important Colleges attended by the Black
men from Atlanta. He also studied at Boston University and completed Doctoral
study in theology.
In the year 1953 he married Coretta
Scott. She was born on 27 April 1927 in Marion city of southern state of
Alabama. Martin Luther King Jr. was a good orator. He visited different parts
of the United States and gave speeches emphasizing the need to end racism,
segregation and giving more civil rights and equal treatment to Black people.
He had visited India in 1959.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India had given a great
welcome to Martin Luther King Jr. and his companions during their India visit. He
was very much inspired by the concept of struggle in a non violent manner and
overall ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. He was also watching the fight of African
countries against their White European colonial masters. He participated in the
protests against segregation at various places. The meaning of segregation is
to have separate facilities for Blacks and Whites and they should not be attending
schools, colleges and other public facilities together. Even the Blacks could
not buy a house in White localities.
Martin Luther King Jr. was able to
get support from Blacks as well as liberal Whites thanks to his peaceful
methods like marches, organising meetings and creating awareness and attracting
attention of the government authorities through his speeches. He was jailed on
quite a few occasions when he was protesting against segregation.
In 1963 he organised a rally at
Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in which thousands of people had
participated. Here only he gave his famous speech ‘I have a dream’.
It was mainly due to the efforts
made by Martin Luther King Jr. that a comprehensive Civil Rights Act was passed
in the year 1964. One of the important features of this law was that it gave
powers to the Federal Government to intervene and take action against
segregation and discrimination. In the same year Martin Luther King Jr. was
given the world famous Nobel Peace Prize for peace.
On 4 April 1968 Martin Luther King
Jr. was assassinated by a white fanatic in Memphis city of Tennessee State and
America lost one of its great sons who believed in humanity and universal
principles of equality, freedom and love.
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