Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech

When most people think of a hero they think of someone who has done a dangerous deed. One example of this is where Prince Charming saves the princess from the high tower. There are other types of heroes though. One of these types is “a hero to others near and far”, as T. A. Baron puts it. This person affects people not only across the street but across a nation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is this type of hero. He has made a difference that still affects people after he has passed away.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started out as a preacher’s son in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Morehouse College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. He later attended Crozer Theological Seminar and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. When he graduated from Boston University in 1955, he came away with a Ph.D. in systematic theology. Before finishing his Ph.D. at Boston University, King was married to Coretta Scott. They were married in Marion, Alabama, by his father on June 18, 1953. Martin and Coretta had four children; Yolanda Denise, Martin Luther the third, Dexter Scott, and Bernice Albertine. In 1954, Martin Luther King Jr. became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

He was also the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. The bus boycott was one of the campaigns in which King was arrested. His philosophy was non-violent, or peaceful protests. To promote civil rights desegregation, and African American rights to vote, King led peaceful parades or marches. Some of these protests were aired on nationwide television. In 1963, he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during one of his most memorable marches of all time. For all these efforts, King received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14, 1964. At the time he was the youngest person to ever receive the award.

Martin Luther King Jr. (http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu /images/releases/942_0.jpg)

As T.A. Barron would put it, Dr. Martin Luther King was a hero to others near and far. He fought for a cause that affected people all over the country, something that was greater then just himself or his family. Racism is something that we would probably still be dealing with today if it was not for people like King who put themselves and their family on the line. Martin Luther King went to jail many times while fighting for freedom. Fortunately this work began to pay off and African Americans began getting more rights. Sadly enough this great man would not live to see the complete success of this work. He was assassinated on the balcony of a Memphis, Tennessee motel on April 4, 1968. The man who admitted the assassination was James Earl, but he later denied it. After that, the family of the great man won a civil trial against Loyd Jowers. In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, there is now a national holiday called Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

As you can see, this man was a great hero. Even though he didn’t rescue a princess from a tall tower, King did things that many others didn’t and still wouldn’t do. As you might know, it can take a lot of courage sometimes to do what you believe in and think is right. He overcame these fears and made a difference in history that will forever affect people.