HAPPY BIRTHDAY MLK, JR

Amy Jackie, from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, wrote this biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15 1929, the oldest son of a Baptist Minister. He graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary as class president in 1951, then did post-graduate work at the University of Boston. There Martin Luther King Jr. explored the work of Mohandas k. Gandi, whose ideas became the core philosophy of nonviolent protest.

While Dr. King was in Boston he met Coretta Scott. She was from Marion, Alabama. In June of 1953 they married. In 1954 he became accepted as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. That same year the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed all segregated public education, and in the wake of that decision the segregated South was soon challenged in every area of public accommodation. In Montgomery, Dr. King organized a bus boycott to protest enforced racial segration in public transportation. In the 381-day action Dr. King was arrested and put in jail, during which time many threats were made against his life. The bus boycott ended with a mandate from the Supreme Court outlawing all Segregated public transportation in the City.

The Montgomery Boycott was a clear victory for nonviolent protest, and Dr. King emerged as a highly respected leader. Mindful of this, Black Clergymen from the south organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. King as president. On a visit to India in 1959, Dr. King was able to work out more clearly his understanding of Stayagraha, Gandhi's Principle of nonviolent persuasion, determining to use it as his main instrument of social protest.

At that time Black leadership was undergoing a radical transformation. Having once focused on litigation and reconciliation, it was now demanding change by any means possible. Differences of ideology and jurisdiction between the SCLC and other groups were inevitable but Dr. King's prestige ensured that nonviolence remained the official mode of resistance. In 1963 he led a massive civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama and it was followed by major drives for black voter registration, desegration and better education and housing in the South. During these nonviolent campaigns he was arrested more than once. In 1964 Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the civil rights movement.

As time passed, Martin Luther King Jr. noticed that the northern cities that had sent Freedom Riders and protest marchers to the south were themsleves remiss in correcting racial discrimination. In Chicago his marchers were met by mobs of white people armed with clubs and led by uniformed neo-Nazis and members of the "Ku Klux Klan."

Dr. King had also begun to think about the Vietnam War and its implications for civil rights. While most Black people thought that the black leadership should concentrate on fighting racial injustice at home, Dr. King associated himself with the antiwar movement and its national white leadership which garnered him enemies among the black community. On April 4 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was shot the killed by a white assassin in Memphis, Tennessee.

Garret Mendel wrote:

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta in 1929. If he was still alive today, he would be 71 years old. As a kid, he liked to fly kites, ride his bike and play baseball and football. He was also a paper boy. His Mom taught him to read before he went to school. He read books about black people who were heroes, like George Washington Carver.

Spencer Biddle-Millius from Bedford, New York wrote:

Though Dr. King did not totally stop racism, he made a lot of people stop and think about how bad racism is. Though people threw rocks at him and even blew up his house, Dr. King always chose the strategy of peaceful protesting. Dr. King is a hero because he devoted his life to help people overcome racism! Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in jail after pleading guilty to Dr. Kingšs death! Though James Earl Ray Killed Dr. King, he killed him with hatred because he wouldnšt die of fear!

Megan, from Van Nuys, California wrote:

I probably wouldn't be here talking to another girl from a diffrent race if I it wasn't for him. The world would be in a big crisis, who knows what crisis? Today there are kids and adults who have a better life than kids and adults back then and who are getting along with people from all over the world. My mom is Samoan and my dad is black. They are from completly diffrent worlds and they met each other, and I think that's cool. I have a brother who is Philipino and black, and one more brother who is black and Mexican. I love my brothers very much. Thank you, Dr. King, for making this world so loving. If you were alive I would send you this letter to show how much I admire you.

Bobby Leech from Jersey City, New Jersey wrote:

Not only was he a civil rights warrior, he could take a simple phrase and turn it into a powerful aspect in the struggle for freedom and equality. Martin Luther King Jr. was not assassinated for his speech, he was assassinated because people started listening, and following his words of wisdom. If only I could have walked with him in his quest for equality, my life, I'm quite sure, would be grateful. Martin Luther King Jr. stood and walked tall. May we all continue to dream what Martin Luther King Jr. did and then we can work on improving human relations.

Cait from Etters, Pennsylvania wrote:

"I have a dream" must be my favorite words. Why? Becuase they start the speech that made a difference. Remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remember...he made a difference.

Aaron S., from Mill Valley, California wrote:

No one should be discriminated against because of their race. Martin Luther King, Jr. fought so that blacks would be allowed to sit in the front of the bus, or drink out of the same water fountains as whites, and get jobs where they would get paid the same.

Rob Petrone, from New York, New York wrote:

In an age where it has become fashionable to hero-bash -- uncovering the nefarious backgrounds and destroying the myths of American heroes like George Washington and John F. Kennedy -- the name of Dr. King remains unblemished. Dr. King stood for what he believed, and was a man ahead of his time. His dream, which many today still share, has continued to live on as his legacy. His adversaries took his life, but his heroic legacy will never die.

Pamela Staples, from Chicago, Illinois wrote:

He brought together nations and helped us see things through new eyes.

Paula P from Kansas wrote:

I remember listening to him as young child and his words mesmerized me. I want my daughter to know who Martin was and what he stood for. Martin Luther is my hero and always will be.

Dirk Goes from Amsterdam, Holland wrote:

Martin Luther King Jr. took a stand against powerful people when no one else would. He kept trying once he was doubted and threatened. He got people around the world to look past his skin color and accept him.

Nancy Fluharty, from Mariposa, California wrote:

He was brave enough to preach his thoughts without fear. Some day I want to have enough courage and love to be able to do that.

Jervis A. Hemingway from Britton's Neck, South Carolina wrote:

Martin Luther King, Jr. is my hero because he did things without violence and got his point across.