The History and Views of Martin Luther King Jr - Essay Example

ID Lecturer Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a renowned American humanitarian, activist, pastor and a leader. He played his part within the African American Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in the year 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His earliest name was Michael King but his father changed it to honor the German reformer Martin Luther. His early life comprised of himself being the middle child, in between an older sister who was Willie Christine King and a younger brother by the name of Alfred Daniel Williams King. He used to sing with his school choir regularly and at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind, the choir was also quite active. From the beginning, Martin Luther King, Jr. was critical of a number of Christian claims and beliefs. It was at the age of 13 years that he rejected the bodily resurrection of the Jesus during a Sunday school activity. It was at this point in his life that a number of doubts started to rise within his mind as far as beliefs and philosophies were concerned. He however concluded that the Bible had a number of truths which could not be denied in essence and this was the reason why he became a part of the seminary in the later years. Martin Luther King, Jr. attended the Booker T. Washington High School in his teens. He skipped the 9th and the 12th grades to enter into Morehouse College at the mere age of 15 years without formally having a high school graduation under his belt. It was in the year 1948 that he graduated from the Morehouse College with a B.A. degree with concentration in Sociology and thereafter enrolled within the Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. He graduated with a B.Div degree in the year 1951. In 1953, Martin Luther King, Jr. married Coretta Scott in Alabama. They had four children namely Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice King. It was decided in their marriage that Coretta would be a housewife and not take active part within the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montogomery, Alabama when he was hardly 25 years old, in the year 1954. Being a religious person, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Christian Minister and his primary influence was Jesus Christ as well as the Christian gospels which he used to quote within his religious meetings, different speeches at the church, and in public discussions. Martin Luther King, Jr.s faith was dictated by his strong attachment to Jesus commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself, loving God more than anyone else, loving your foes and praying for them as well as blessing them. It was in his popular letter from the Birminigham Jail that Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized on action which was consistent with what he suggested as extremist love. He also quoted a number of other Christian pacifist authors which was a usual happening for him. Martin Luther King, Jr. is famous for playing his part within the advancement of the civil rights whereby he used the non-violent civil disobedience which was based on the premise of his Christian ideology. Known as a Baptist Minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. started to perform as an activist early on in his career. This was the reason why he was amongst the ones who led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott as well as facilitated in the foundation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference two years later, in 1957 (Weiss, 2003). He served as the first President of the SCLC but was unable to lead a struggle movement for the SCLC against the demarcation in Georgia in the year 1962. Later on, he organized quite a few non-violent protests in Alabama which drew national attention as well as TV news coverage regarding the police response which was damaging and resentful. He was one of the main men who assisted in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. This was the moment when he delivered his renowned "I have a dream" speech which still echoes in the hearts and minds of fellow Americans and other populations of the world. What this speech and indeed the march did was to tell the world that Martin Luther King, Jr. was an orator par excellence and also a leader of the highest stature. He was investigated by the FBI for having communist ties while J. Edgar Hoover called him a radical. It was in the year 1964 that he was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize for taking on racial inequality through non-violent means. King was awarded the Presidential Medla of Freedom after his death (a posthumous award) as well as the Congressional Gold Medal. Also the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was instituted as a holiday within several American states and cities after 1971 and as a United States federal holiday in the year 1986. It was due to his immensely significant stature that many streets as well as a county in the United States have been renamed in Martin Luther King, Jr.s honor. In addition, a memorial statue was opened to the public at the National Mall in 2011. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a noble man who thought big of the world around him. His religious connection was such that he wanted to be close to God and hence His will. This is the reason why he meshed well with the people around him and thought of them as Gods closest substitutes. Martin Luther King, Jr. was someone that people can still look up to for encouragement and moral support. He generally did well for mankind and this was apparent in his actions and words. Hence the reason why his speeches are still heard and rerun to this day. All said and done, a personal connection exists between Martin Luther King, Jr. and myself because I have appreciated his personality as well. I am one of his biggest fans and hence the reason why I like him very much. References Weiss, J. (2003). Calling, New Careers and Spirituality a Reflective Perspective for Organizational Leaders and Professionals. Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations 5 Read More