Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. (http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/has-the-civil-rights-movement-been-hijacked/question-1543531/?link=ibaf&q=martin+luther+king+hero&imgurl=http://redskies.salemstate.edu/assets/images/MartinLutherKingFlag.jpg)

Martin Luther King Jr. was and still is a great figure in African American history. On January 15, 1929, King was born in Atlanta under the care of his grandfather to the name Michael Luther King Jr. but later changed it to Martin. King made many efforts to change the minds of a lot of Americans into knowing that all men are created equal.

When Martin Luther King Jr participated in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, he was a major part in the organization of the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott that began when a woman named Rosa Parks got arrested due to her refusing to surrender her seat to a white person. This boycott lasted 382 days, December 1, 1955 to December 20, 1956, and ended when the Supreme court ruled to allow white and black people to have equal rights on a bus. However, this boycott did not sit well with everyone. King's significant part in the boycott resulted in personal assaults, the bombing of his home, and he was arrested.

Martin Luther King Junior (http://quest4thebest.org/2011/01/17/some-quotes-of-martin-luther-king-jr/)

"Faith is Taking the first step even if you don't see the whole staircase" This quote definitely describes Martin Luther King Jr.'s bravery and courage. One of the greatest civil rights movements took place on August 28, 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated great courage during the March on Washington. On the Lincoln Memorial, King poured his heart out with his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in front of over 250,000 people from all sorts of different states. The reason behind this speech was to end racial discrimination and change the minds of thousands of people who did not believe in equal rights for African Americans. This speech moved the crowd, as King was a black man who cared for everyone and was trying to create a better future for the future black and white people of America. Finally, the African Americans had a leader that had been heard around the world.

On April 3rd, King gave a speech announcing that he was aware of and accepted the possibility that he may die. On April 4th, 1968, King was standing on his balcony of the Lorraine Motel when a sniper shot him on his jaw and neck. The death of King aroused anger in over 100 cities, and violence began to start. By the time the violence ended on August 11, about 46 African Americans died, 20,000 were arrested, and 35,000 people were injured. King's funeral was huge, about 65,000 people stood in the roads outside of the sanctuary where 800 more people were.

Martin Luther King Jr. made many heroic efforts to try to make America the free nation it is today. He sacrificed his life to prove to people that all men are created equal, and everyone deserves equal rights. King will always be remembered as the man who truly united the United States of America.