Martin Luther King - Research Paper Example

Martin Luther King Introduction Martin Luther King is one of the most influential individuals in the history of The United States of America. He took the civil rights activities in the country to a new height. His life and his contribution to the society of America have been an important subject of research over the years. Like several other research paper, this paper also focuses on Martin Luther King and his life. However, instead of focusing only on his life, the paper focuses also on the contributions that King has made to the movements for the civil rights of black people in America. The following section gives a clear understanding about the life and several activities of Martin Luther King. The paper ends with a proper conclusion and the sources are provided in the ‘reference’ section. Martin Luther King Martin Luther King was born as Michael Luther King in the year 1929 (15 January) in Atlanta. Later his name was changed to Martin. Both his grandfather as well as his father worked as pastors in an Afro-American Baptist Church. His grandfather served as pastor from 1914 to 1931. His father was pastor in that same church from 1931 till 1960. Martin Luther served as co-pastor from 1960 till his death. His schooling was from the public schools (segregated schooling) of Georgia. In 1948 he received B.A. degree from the Morehouse College which was a segregated Negro Institution that was located in Atlanta. His grandfather and father also graduated from this institution. Martin spent three years in studying theology at Crozer Theological Seminary which is located in Pennsylvania. In this institute he was chosen a president of his class in spite of the fact that the class was mainly dominated by white colored people. In 1951 he received the B.D. degree. Then he went to Boston University for completing his doctorate. During this period he became aware about the injustice and inequalities that are faced by the black people in the country. In 1953 he completed his doctorate. King, at the age of 24 got married to Corretta Scott who was a talented and beautiful young woman (“Martin Luther King Jr Biography”. Biography Online.net). In 1954, King became a priest at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church which was located at Montgomery in Alabama. Martin Luther was always renowned for his works for civil rights of the people of his race in America. One of the most important incidents among his various activities was ‘Montgomery Bus Boycott’. Under the leadership of Martin Luther this Bus Boycott event lasted for more than a few months. Considering the intensity of the issue, national press was forced to cover the event. It all began when a civil rights activist named Rosa Parks sat in ‘White Only Area’ in a Montgomery Bus. When she was asked to give up her seat she refused and the bus company decided not to support her. Martin Luther arranged a strike where all the black people refused to ride any of the Montgomery city buses. Finally the issue was brought to the notice of Supreme Court and it declared that the segregation was unconstitutional. The bus company was forced to accept the integration of ‘black’ and ‘white’. The boycott ended on 20th December, 1956. During the period of boycott, Martin Luther was personally abused and then arrested. Even his home was damaged by bomb. However, at the same time King emerged as a leading Negro leader (“Martin Luther King Jr Biography”. Biography Online.net). After this successful boycott, King, with the help of some of the ministers founded ‘Southern Christian Leadership Conference’ which later became the nucleus of various civil rights movements. He was a renowned executive committee member of the ‘National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’. In 1957 King was chosen the president of SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). King adopted the operational techniques regarding this organization from the great Mahatma Gandhi and the ideals were taken from Christianity. Over the next eleven years (1957 - 1968), King traveled more than six million miles. More than twenty five hundred times he spoke during these years. He raised his voice whenever and wherever there was protest and injustice. He wrote numerous articles and five books. During these years a massive protest was led by him in Alabama and this was noticed by the whole world. In Washington D.C. a peaceful march was directed by him. King addressed almost 250,000 people in that event ("Martin Luther King - Biography". Nobelprize.org). Martin Luther King was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was only 35 years old when he received this prestigious award. However, he announced to turn over $54,123 (the prize money) to the betterment of civil rights activities ("Martin Luther King - Biography". Nobelprize.org). Martin Luther King is renowned for his influential and inspirational speeches. He was capable of moving and uplifting his listeners. Most importantly he was capable of offering a ray of hope to his audiences. His speeches were free from any elements of revenge or violence. His passionate, non-violent protests played significant role in raising awareness about the racial inequalities in the country. He captured hearts of millions of people irrespective of their color. In 1963 Time magazine declared him as the ‘man of the year’. King was against the Vietnam War and as a consequence Johnson administration was not pleased with him. Furthermore, several of his activities came under the scrutiny of the authorities like Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (“Martin Luther King Jr Biography”. Biography Online.net). On 3rd April, 1968, King delivered the speech - ‘I've Been to the Mountaintop’ and on the very next day he was assassinated. People close to him were convinced about the fact that the assassination was directed by the government. After King’s death, Ralph Abernathy became the president of SCLC. He claimed that the person who killed King was hired and trained by FBI. However, after the death of King, his country has instigated the Martin Luther King Day in the honor of him (“Martin Luther King Jr Biography”. Biography Online.net). Conclusion Over the years the world has seen many civil rights activists who have changed the fate of the people from different region throughout the world. However, none of these activists can be compared with Martin Luther King as he is the ‘one and only.’ Influence of king and several of his activities and speeches is not confined to the people of America; rather it is spread to the billions of people all across the world. He is one of the most inspirational black leaders that the world has ever seen. His contributions to the civil rights movement for Afro-Americans are unforgettable. References "Martin Luther King - Biography". Nobelprize.org. 17 Nov 2010 “Martin Luther King Jr Biography”. Biography Online.net. 17 Nov 2010 Read More