Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday and Day of Service
Background Information, Lesson Plans, and
Internet Resources for the
Secondary Classroom
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge
and controversy.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Strength to Love,
1963
Miami Dade County Public Schools
Department of Social Sciences
January 2016 (Revised)
THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair
Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, Vice-Chair
Ms. Susie V. Castillo
Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman
Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway
Dr. Martin Karp
Ms. Lubby Navarro
Dr. Marta Pérez Wurtz
Ms. Raquel A. Regalado
Logan Schroeder Stephens
Student Advisor
Mr. Alberto M. Carvalho
Superintendent of Schools
Mrs. Maria L. Izquierdo, Chief Academic Officer
Office of Academics and Transformation
Dr. Maria P. de Armas, Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction, K-12 Core Curriculum
Mr. Robert C. Brazofsky, Executive Director
Department of Social Sciences
Introduction – The History of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Holiday and Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an official holiday which has been celebrated on the
third Monday of January since 1986. It is the first new holiday adopted in the United
States since 1948, when Memorial Day was created as a “prayer for peace” day. It was
one of three new holidays designated during the twentieth century, including Veteran’s
Day, created as Armistice Day in 1926. Dr. King is the only American besides George
Washington to have a national holiday designated for his birthday (those of Abraham
Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee and others have been celebrated in some
states but not nationwide). Internationally, Dr. King is one of the few social leaders of
any country to be honored with a holiday. Generally, such an honor is reserved for
military or religious figures. Consequently, this holiday is a powerful tribute to Dr. King’s
philosophy and nature.
When President Ronald Reagan signed the legislation establishing the holiday in
November of 1983, it marked the end of a persistent, highly organized lobbying effort
spanning the nation for 15 years. Representative John Conyers (D., Michigan), first
introduced legislation for a commemorative holiday four days after Dr. King was
assassinated in 1968. The bill became stalled in that legislative session. With help from
New York Democratic Representative Shirley Chisholm, Conyers resubmitted the
legislation in each subsequent legislative session.
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) coordinated a petition drive,
which resulted in more than six million signatures being submitted to Congress in 1970.
Public support and pressure for the holiday increased during the 1982 and 1983 civil
rights marches in Washington, D. C. Finally, a compromise was proposed, moving the
holiday from January 15 (Dr. King’s actual birthday), to the third Monday in January,
resulting in Congress passing the holiday legislation in 1983. President Ronald Reagan
then signed it into law. The King Holiday is celebrated in some form in more than 100
countries throughout the world.
In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national
day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with
leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day
of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on,
not a day off." The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President's
national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work
together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.
The MLK Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and
teachings into community action that helps solve social problems. That service may
meet a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. On this day, Americans of
every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that strengthen
communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions.
An Instructional Note to Teachers
Each year, on the third Monday in January, the nation observes the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Holiday and Day of Service. The holiday and day of service commemorate the
enduring vision and legacy of Dr. King to our nation and the world.
To assist schools, staff in the Department of Social Sciences has developed this
instructional resource guide that includes background information, suggested classroom
activities, and Internet resources on the life and legacy of Dr. King. The resources in this
instructional resource guide include:
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This section includes detailed background and reference information on Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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LESSONS, ACTIVITIES, AND STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS
This section includes detailed middle and senior high school lesson plans with all
support materials needed to teach about the life and contributions of Dr. King.
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INTERNET RESOURCES
Related lesson plans, teacher background information, interactive activities, and
downloadable worksheets may be found on the web sites listed in this section of
the guide.
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SECONDARY CHARACTER EDUCATION RESOURCES – Additional lesson
ideas are included to support the core value of “pursuit of excellence,” which has
been designated by the District for the month of February.
Teachers are highly encouraged to utilize the resources and lessons found in this
instructional resource guide to reinforce the contributions of Dr. King, whenever
appropriate throughout the school year. Teachers are further encouraged to select
and adapt the resources and lessons to best fit the needs of their students.
Background Information
 Getting Involved - The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of
Service
 Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 Timeline of Events in the Life of Dr. King
 Civil Rights Timeline - Milestones in the Modern Civil Rights
Movement
 Memorable Quotes by Dr. King
 Text of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
 The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, D.C.
 Photographs of Dr. King
Getting Involved - The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
January 18, 2016 will mark the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. This milestone
is a perfect opportunity for Americans to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service. The
MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers,
creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a
beloved community. Explore the following website to learn more about Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day and how you can participate in the Day of Service.
http://www.nationalservice.gov/MLKDay
What is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service?
After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking
the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin
Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation
for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on
the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed
as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off." The MLK Day of Service is a part
of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative. It calls for
Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing
national problems.
Why Serve on the Day of Service?
Dr. King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to
live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence
to make this country a better place to live - creating the Beloved Community.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. King’s life and
teachings into community action that helps solve social problems. That service may meet
a tangible need, or it may meet a need of the spirit. On this day, Americans of every age
and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that strengthen communities,
empower individuals, bridge barriers, and create solutions.
How can I serve on MLK Day?
People of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities can get involved. Just fill in your zip code
in the Find a Project box at http://www.nationalservice.gov/MLKDay to locate a
volunteer opportunity in your community or plan your own project.
Source: http://www.nationalservice.gov/MLKDay
Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and
dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The
movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life
through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years
of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and
old, in this nation and around the world.
Dr. King’s concept of “somebodiness,” which symbolized the celebration of human worth
and the conquest of subjugation, gave black and poor people hope and a sense of
dignity. His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his strategies for rational and nondestructive social change, galvanized the conscience of this nation and reordered its
priorities. His wisdom, his words, his actions, his commitment, and his dream for a new
way of life are intertwined with the American experience.
Birth and Family
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born at noon on Tuesday, January 15, 1929 at the family
home, 501 Auburn Avenue, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Charles Johnson was the
attending physician. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the first son and second child born to the
Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Also born to the Kings were
Christine, now Mrs. Isaac Farris, Sr., and the Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King. The
Reverend A.D. King is now deceased.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s maternal grandparents were the Reverend Adam Daniel
Williams, second pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Jenny Parks Williams. His
paternal grandparents were James Albert and Delia King, sharecroppers on a farm in
Stockbridge, Georgia.
He married Coretta Scott, the younger daughter of Obadiah and Bernice McMurry Scott
of Marion, Alabama, on June 18, 1953. The marriage ceremony took place on the lawn of
the Scott’s home in Marion, Alabama. The Rev. King, Sr. performed the service, with Mrs.
Edythe Bagley, the sister of Coretta Scott King as maid of honor, and the Rev. A.D. King,
the brother of Martin Luther King, Jr., as best man.
Four children were born to Dr. and Mrs. King:
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Yolanda Denise (November 17, 1955, Montgomery, Alabama)
Martin Luther III (October 23, 1957, Montgomery, Alabama)
Dexter Scott (January 30, 1961, Atlanta, Georgia)
Bernice Albertine (March 28, 1963, Atlanta, Georgia)
Education
At the age of five, Martin Luther King, Jr. began school, before reaching the legal age of
six, at the Yonge Street Elementary School in Atlanta. When his age was discovered, he
was not permitted to continue in school and did not resume his education until he was
six. Following Yonge School, he was enrolled in David T. Howard Elementary School. He
also attended the Atlanta University Laboratory School and Booker T. Washington High
School. Because of his high scores on the college entrance examinations in his junior
year of high school, he advanced to Morehouse College without formal graduation from
Booker T. Washington. Having skipped both the ninth and twelfth grades, Dr. King
entered Morehouse at the age of fifteen.
In 1948, he graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. degree in Sociology. That fall
he enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. While attending
Crozer, he also studied at the University of Pennsylvania. He was elected President of
the Senior Class and delivered the valedictory address. He won the Peral Plafkner Award
as the most outstanding student, and he received the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship for
graduate study at a university of his choice. He was awarded a Bachelor of Divinity
degree from Crozer in 1951.
In September of 1951, Martin Luther King, Jr. began doctoral studies in Systematic
Theology at Boston University. He also studied at Harvard University. His dissertation, “A
Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson
Wieman,” was completed in 1955, and the Ph.D. degree was awarded on June 5, 1955.
Honorary Degrees
Dr. King was awarded honorary degrees from various colleges and universities in the
United States and several foreign countries. They include:
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Doctor of Humane Letters, Morehouse College
Doctor of Laws, Howard University
Doctor of Divinity, Chicago Theological Seminary
Doctor of Laws, Morgan State University
Doctor of Humanities, Central State University
Doctor of Divinity, Boston University
Doctor of Laws, Lincoln University
Doctor of Laws, University of Bridgeport
Doctor of Civil Laws, Bard College
Doctor of Letters, Keuka College
Doctor of Divinity, Wesleyan College
Doctor of Laws, Jewish Theological Seminary
Doctor of Laws, Yale University
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Doctor of Divinity, Springfield College
Doctor of Laws, Hofstra University
Doctor of Humane Letters, Oberlin College
Doctor of Social Science, Amsterdam Free University
Doctor of Divinity, St. Peter’s College
Doctor of Civil Law, University of New Castle, Upon Tyne
Doctor of Laws, Grinnell College
Career
Martin Luther King, Jr. entered the Christian ministry and was ordained in February 1948
at the age of nineteen at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia. Following his
ordination, he became Assistant Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Upon completion of
his studies at Boston University, he accepted the call of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Alabama. He was the pastor of Dexter Avenue from September 1954 to
November 1959, when he resigned to move to Atlanta to direct the activities of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference. From 1960 until his death in 1968, he was
co-pastor with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Dr. King was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. He was elected President of
the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization that was responsible for the
successful Montgomery Bus Boycott from 1955 to 1956 (381 days). He was arrested
thirty times for his participation in civil rights activities. He was a founder and president of
the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1957 to 1968. He was also Vice
President of the National Sunday School and Baptist Teaching Union Congress of the
National Baptist Convention. He was a member of several national and local boards of
directors and served on the boards of trustees of numerous institutions and agencies. Dr.
King was elected to membership in several learned societies including the prestigious
American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Awards
Dr. King received numerous awards for his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.
Among them were the following:
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Selected as one of the ten most outstanding personalities of the year by Time
Magazine, 1957.
Listed in Who’s Who in America, 1957.
The Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, 1957.
The Russwurm Award from the National Newspaper Publishers, 1957.
The Second Annual Achievement Award from The Guardian Association of the
Police Department of New York, 1958.
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Selected as one of the sixteen world leaders who had contributed most to the
advancement of freedom during 1959 by Ling Magazine of New Delhi, India.
Named “Man of the Year, “by Time Magazine, 1963.
Named “American of the Decade,” by the Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Die
Workers, International Union, 1963.
The John Dewey Award, from the United Federation of Teachers, 1964.
The John F. Kennedy Award, from the Catholic Interracial Council of Chicago,
1964.
The Nobel Peace Prize, at age 35, the youngest man, second American, and the
third black man to be so honored, 1964.
The Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights, presented by the Jamaican
Government, posthumously, 1968.
The Rosa L. Parks award, presented by The Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, posthumously, 1968.
The Aims Field-Wolf Award for his book, Stride Toward Freedom.
The above awards and others, along with numerous citations, are in the Archives of The
Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia.
Publications
Although extremely involved with his family, his church, the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, activities for peace and justice, his world travels, and his many
speaking engagements, Dr. King wrote six books and numerous articles. His volumes
include:
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Stride Toward Freedom, (New York: Harper & Row, 1958). The story of the
Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The Measure of a Man, (Philadelphia: Pilgrim Press, 1959). A selection of
sermons.
Why We Can’t Wait, (New York: Harper & Row, 1963). The story of the
Birmingham Campaign.
Strength to Love, (New York: Harper & Row, 1963). A selection of sermons.
Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? (New York: Harper & Row,
1967). Reflections on the problems of today’s world, the nuclear arms race, etc.
The Trumpet of Conscience, (New York: Harper & Row, 1968). The Massey
Lectures. Sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. (Posthumously).
Death
Dr. King was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis,
Tennessee on April 4, 1968. Dr. King was in Memphis to help lead sanitation workers in a
protest against low wages and intolerable working conditions. James Earl Ray was
arrested in London, England on June 8, 1968, and returned to Memphis, Tennessee on
July 19, 1969 to stand trial for the assassination of Dr. King. On March 9, 1969, before
coming to trial, he entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to ninety-nine years in the
Tennessee State Penitentiary.
On December 8, 1999, a jury of twelve citizens of Memphis, Shelby County, TN
concluded in Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, III, Bernice King, Dexter Scott King
and Yolanda King Vs. Loyd Jowers and Other Unknown Conspirators that Loyd Jowers
and governmental agencies including the City of Memphis, the State of Tennessee, and
the federal government were party to the conspiracy to assassinate Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Dr. King’s funeral services were held on April 9, 1968 at Ebenezer Baptist Church and on
the campus of Morehouse College, with the President of the United State proclaiming a
day of mourning and flags being flown at half-staff. The area where Dr. King is entombed
is located on Freedom Plaza and is surrounded by the Freedom Hall Complex of the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site. The site is a 23-acre area was listed as a National
Historic Landmark on May 5, 1977 and was made a National Historic Site on October 10,
1980 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Source: http://www.thekingcenter.org/mlk/bio.html
Timeline of Events in the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1929
Born on at noon on January 15, 1929.
Parents: The Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr.
Home: 501 Auburn Avenue, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia.
1944 Graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted to
Morehouse College at the age of 15.
1948 Graduates from Morehouse College and enters Crozer Theological Seminary.
Ordained to the Baptist ministry, February 25, 1948, at the age 19.
1951
1953
Enters Boston University for graduate studies.
Marries Coretta Scott and settles in Montgomery, Alabama.
Received Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boston University,
Boston, Massachusetts on June 5, 1955.
Dissertation Title: A Comparison of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry
1955 Wiseman.
Joins the bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1. On
December 5, he is elected president of the Montgomery Improvement
Association, making him the official spokesman for the boycott.
1956 On November 13, the Supreme Court rules that bus segregation is illegal,
ensuring victory for the boycott.
King forms the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to fight segregation
1957 and achieve civil rights. On May 17, Dr. King speaks to a crowd of 15,000 in
Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act since reconstruction. King's
first book, Stride Toward Freedom, is published.
1958
On a speaking tour, Martin Luther King, Jr. is nearly killed when stabbed by an
assailant in Harlem. Met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with Roy
Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, and Lester Grange on problems affecting black
Americans.
Visited India to study Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence.
1959
Resigns from pastoring the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church to concentrate on civil
rights full time. He moved to Atlanta to direct the activities of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference.
Becomes co-pastor with his father at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Lunch counter sit-ins began in Greensboro, North Carolina. In Atlanta, King is
arrested during a sit-in waiting to be served at a restaurant. He is sentenced to
1960
four months in jail, but after intervention by John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy,
he is released.
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee founded to coordinate protests at
Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
In November, the Interstate Commerce Commission bans segregation in
interstate travel due to work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Riders.
1961 Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) began first Freedom Ride through the
South, in a Greyhound bus, after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation in
interstate transportation.
1962 During the unsuccessful Albany, Georgia movement, King is arrested on July 27
and jailed.
On Good Friday, April 12, King is arrested with Ralph Abernathy by Police
Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor for demonstrating without a permit.
On April 13, the Birmingham campaign is launched. This would prove to be the
turning point in the war to end desegregation in the South.
During the eleven days he spent in jail, MLK writes his famous Letter from
Birmingham Jail .
On May 10, the Birmingham agreement is announced. The stores, restaurants,
1963 and schools will be desegregated, hiring of blacks implemented, and charges
dropped.
On June 23, MLK leads 125,000 people on a Freedom Walk in Detroit.
The March on Washington held August 28 is the largest civil rights demonstration
in history with nearly 250,000 people in attendance.
At the march, King makes his famous I Have a Dream speech.
On November 22, President Kennedy is assassinated.
On January 3, King appears on the cover of Time magazine as its Man of the
Year.
King attends the signing ceremony of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 at the White
House on July 2.
1964
During the summer, King experiences his first hurtful rejection by black people
when he is stoned by Black Muslims in Harlem.
King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. Dr. King is the youngest
person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace at age 35.
1965
On February 2, King is arrested in Selma, Alabama during a voting rights
demonstration.
After President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law, Martin Luther King,
Jr. turns to socioeconomic problems.
On January 22, King moves into a Chicago slum tenement to attract attention to
the living conditions of the poor.
1966
In June, King and others begin the March Against Fear through the South.
On July 10, King initiates a campaign to end discrimination in housing,
employment, and schools in Chicago.
The Supreme Court upholds a conviction of MLK by a Birmingham court for
1967 demonstrating without a permit. King spends four days in Birmingham jail.
On November 27, King announces the inception of the Poor People's Campaign
focusing on jobs and freedom for the poor of all races.
King announces that the Poor People's Campaign will culminate in a March on
Washington demanding a $12 billion Economic Bill of Rights guaranteeing
employment to the able-bodied, incomes to those unable to work, and an end to
housing discrimination.
1968
Dr. King marches in support of sanitation workers on strike in Memphis,
Tennessee.
On March 28, King led a march that turns violent. This was the first time one of his
events had turned violent.
Delivered I've Been to the Mountaintop speech.
At sunset on April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the
balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
There are riots and disturbances in 130 American cities. There were twenty
thousand arrests.
King's funeral on April 9 is an international event.
Within a week of the assassination, the Open Housing Act is passed by Congress.
On November 2, a national holiday is proclaimed in King's honor.
36 USC 169j -- (United States Code, Title 36 (Patriotic Societies and
1986 Observances), Chapter 9 (National Observances)
Civil Rights Timeline - Milestones in the Modern Civil Rights Movement
by Borgna Brunner and Elissa Haney
1948
July 26
President Truman signs Executive Order 9981, which states, "It is hereby
declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment
and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race,
color, religion, or national origin."
1954
May 17
The Supreme Court rules on the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka, Kans., unanimously agreeing that segregation in public schools is
unconstitutional. The ruling paves the way for large-scale desegregation. The
decision overturns the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that sanctioned "separate
but equal" segregation of the races, ruling that "separate educational facilities
are inherently unequal." It is a victory for NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall,
who will later return to the Supreme Court as the nation's first black justice.
1955
Aug.
Fourteen-year-old Chicagoan Emmett Till is visiting family in Mississippi when
he is kidnapped, brutally beaten, shot, and dumped in the Tallahatchie River for
allegedly whistling at a white woman. Two white men, J. W. Milam and Roy
Bryant, are arrested for the murder and acquitted by an all-white jury. They later
boast about committing the murder in a Look magazine interview. The case
becomes a cause célèbre of the civil rights movement.
Dec. 1
(Montgomery, Ala.) NAACP member Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat at
the front of the "colored section" of a bus to a white passenger, defying a
southern custom of the time. In response to her arrest the Montgomery black
community launches a bus boycott, which will last for more than a year, until the
buses are desegregated Dec. 21, 1956. As newly elected president of the
Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.,
is instrumental in leading the boycott.
1957
Jan.–Feb.
Martin Luther King, Charles K. Steele, and Fred L. Shuttlesworth establish the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, of which King is made the first
president. The SCLC becomes a major force in organizing the civil rights
movement and bases its principles on nonviolence and civil disobedience.
According to King, it is essential that the civil rights movement not sink to the
level of the racists and hatemongers who oppose them: "We must forever
conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline," he urges.
Sept.
(Little Rock, Ark.) Formerly all-white Central High School learns
that integration is easier said than done. Nine black students are blocked from
entering the school on the orders of Governor Orval Faubus. President
Eisenhower sends federal troops and the National Guard to intervene on behalf
of the students, who become known as the "Little Rock Nine."
1960
Feb. 1
(Greensboro, N.C.) Four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical College begin a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
Although they are refused service, they are allowed to stay at the counter. The
event triggers many similar nonviolent protests throughout the South. Six
months later the original four protesters are served lunch at the same
Woolworth's counter. Student sit-ins would be effective throughout the Deep
South in integrating parks, swimming pools, theaters, libraries, and other public
facilities.
April
(Raleigh, N.C.) The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) is
founded at Shaw University, providing young blacks with a place in the civil
rights movement. The SNCC later grows into a more radical organization,
especially under the leadership of Stokely Carmichael (1966–1967).
1961
May 4
Over the spring and summer, student volunteers begin taking bus trips through
the South to test out new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel
facilities, which includes bus and railway stations. Several of the groups of
"freedom riders," as they are called, are attacked by angry mobs along the way.
The program, sponsored by The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), involves more than 1,000
volunteers, black and white.
1962
Oct. 1
James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of
Mississippi. Violence and riots surrounding the incident cause President
Kennedy to send 5,000 federal troops.
1963
April 16
Martin Luther King is arrested and jailed during anti-segregation protests in
Birmingham, Ala.; he writes his seminal "Letter from Birmingham Jail," arguing
that individuals have the moral duty to disobey unjust laws.
May
During civil rights protests in Birmingham, Ala., Commissioner of Public Safety
Eugene "Bull" Connor uses fire hoses and police dogs on black demonstrators.
These images of brutality, which are televised and published widely, are
instrumental in gaining sympathy for the civil rights movement around the world.
June 12
(Jackson, Miss.) Mississippi's NAACP field secretary, 37-year-old Medgar Evers,
is murdered outside his home. Byron De La Beckwith is tried twice in 1964, both
trials resulting in hung juries. Thirty years later he is convicted for murdering
Evers.
Aug. 28
(Washington, D.C.) About 200,000 people join the March on Washington.
Congregating at the Lincoln Memorial, participants listen as Martin Luther King
delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Sept. 15
(Birmingham, Ala.) Four young girls (Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole
Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins) attending Sunday school are killed when a
bomb explodes at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a popular location for civil
rights meetings. Riots erupt in Birmingham, leading to the deaths of two more
black youths.
1964
Jan. 23
The 24th Amendment abolishes the poll tax, which originally had been instituted
in 11 southern states after Reconstruction to make it difficult for poor blacks to
vote.
Summer
The Council of Federated Organizations (COFO), a network of civil rights groups
that includes CORE and SNCC, launches a massive effort to register black
voters during what becomes known as the Freedom Summer. It also sends
delegates to the Democratic National Convention to protest—and attempt to
unseat—the official all-white Mississippi contingent.
July 2
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The most sweeping civil
rights legislation since Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Act prohibits
discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The
law also provides the federal government with the powers to enforce
desegregation.
Aug. 4
(Neshoba Country, Miss.) The bodies of three civil-rights workers—two white,
one black—are found in an earthen dam, six weeks into a federal investigation
backed by President Johnson. James E. Chaney, 21; Andrew Goodman, 21;
and Michael Schwerner, 24, had been working to register black voters in
Mississippi, and, on June 21, had gone to investigate the burning of a black
church. They were arrested by the police on speeding charges, incarcerated for
several hours, and then released after dark into the hands of the Ku Klux Klan,
who murdered them.
1965
Feb. 21
(Harlem, N.Y.) Malcolm X, black nationalist and founder of the Organization of
Afro-American Unity, is shot to death. It is believed the assailants are members
of the Black Muslim faith, which Malcolm had recently abandoned in favor of
orthodox Islam.
March 7
(Selma, Ala.) Blacks begin a march to Montgomery in support of voting rights but
are stopped at the Pettus Bridge by a police blockade. Fifty marchers are
hospitalized after police use tear gas, whips, and clubs against them. The
incident is dubbed "Bloody Sunday" by the media. The march is considered the
catalyst for pushing through the voting rights act five months later.
Aug. 10
Congress passes the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it easier for Southern
blacks to register to vote. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and other such requirements
that were used to restrict black voting are made illegal.
Aug. 11–17, 1965
(Watts, Calif.) Race riots erupt in a black section of Los Angeles.
Sept. 24, 1965
Asserting that civil rights laws alone are not enough to remedy
discrimination, President Johnson issues Executive Order 11246, which
enforces affirmative action for the first time. It requires government contractors
to "take affirmative action" toward prospective minority employees in all aspects
of hiring and employment.
1966
Oct.
(Oakland, Calif.) The
Newton and Bobby Seale.
1967
militant Black
Panthers are
founded
by Huey
April 19
Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), coins the phrase "black power" in a speech in Seattle. He defines it as
an assertion of black pride and "the coming together of black people to fight for
their liberation by any means necessary." The term's radicalism alarms many
who believe the civil rights movement's effectiveness and moral authority
crucially depend on nonviolent civil disobedience.
June 12
In Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court rules that prohibiting interracial
marriage is unconstitutional. Sixteen states that still banned interracial marriage
at the time are forced to revise their laws.
July
Major race riots take place in Newark (July 12–16) and Detroit (July 23–30).
1968
April 4
(Memphis, Tenn.) Martin Luther King, at age 39, is shot as he stands on the
balcony outside his hotel room. Escaped convict and committed racist James
Earl Ray is convicted of the crime.
April 11
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination
in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.
1971
April 20
The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education,
upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools.
Although largely unwelcome (and sometimes violently opposed) in local school
districts, court-ordered busing plans in cities such as Charlotte, Boston, and
Denver continue until the late 1990s.
1988
March 22
Overriding President Reagan's veto, Congress passes the Civil Rights
Restoration Act, which expands the reach of non-discrimination laws within
private institutions receiving federal funds.
1991
Nov. 22
After two years of debates, vetoes, and threatened vetoes, President
Bush reverses himself and signs the Civil Rights Act of 1991, strengthening
existing civil rights laws and providing for damages in cases of intentional
employment discrimination.
1992
April 29
(Los Angeles, Calif.) The first race riots in decades erupt in south-central Los
Angeles after a jury acquits four white police officers for the videotaped beating
of African American Rodney King.
2003
June 23
In the most important affirmative action decision since the 1978 Bakke case, the
Supreme Court (5–4) upholds the University of Michigan Law School's policy,
ruling that race can be one of many factors considered by colleges when
selecting their students because it furthers "a compelling interest in obtaining the
educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body."
2005
June 21
The ringleader of the Mississippi civil rights murders (see Aug. 4, 1964), Edgar
Ray Killen, is convicted of manslaughter on the 41st anniversary of the crimes.
October 24
Rosa Parks dies at age 92.
2006
January 30
Coretta Scott King dies of a stroke at age 78.
2007
February
Emmett Till's 1955 murder case, reopened by the Department of Justice in 2004,
is officially closed. The two confessed murderers, J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant,
were dead of cancer by 1994, and prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to
pursue further convictions.
May 10
James Bonard Fowler, a former state trooper, is indicted for the murder of
Jimmie Lee Jackson 40 years after Jackson's death. The 1965 killing lead to a
series of historic civil rights protests in Selma, Ala.
2008
January
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduces the Civil Rights Act of 2008. Some
of the proposed provisions include ensuring that federal funds are not used to
subsidize discrimination, holding employers accountable for age discrimination,
and improving accountability for other violations of civil rights and workers'
rights.
2009
January
In the Supreme Court case Ricci v. DeStefano, a lawsuit brought against the city
of New Haven, 18 plaintiffs—17 white people and one Hispanic—argued that
results of the 2003 lieutenant and captain exams were thrown out when it was
determined that few minority firefighters qualified for advancement. The city
claimed they threw out the results because they feared liability under a
disparate-impact statute for issuing tests that discriminated against minority
firefighters. The plaintiffs claimed that they were victims of reverse discrimination
under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Supreme Court ruled (5–
4) in favor of the firefighters, saying New Haven's "action in discarding the tests
was a violation of Title VII."
2013
June
In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the
Voting Rights Act, which established a formula for Congress to use when
determining if a state or voting jurisdiction requires prior approval before
changing its voting laws. Currently under Section 5 of the act nine—mostly
Southern—states with a history of discrimination must get clearance from
Congress before changing voting rules to make sure racial minorities are not
negatively affected. While the 5–4 decision did not invalidate Section 5, it made
it toothless. Chief Justice John Roberts said the formula Congress now uses,
which was written in 1965, has become outdated. "While any racial
discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it
passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions," he said in the
majority opinion. In a strongly worded dissent, Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg said,
"Hubris is a fit word for today’s demolition of the V.R.A." (Voting Rights Act).
Source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
Memorable Quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important leader of America’s civil rights movement
and a great orator. King is most remembered for his powerful “I Have a Dream Speech”
delivered in 1963 during the March on Washington, but he also delivered dozens of
additional speeches and sermons. Below is a sampling of his most powerful quotes.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they
will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of
bitterness and hatred.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
out hate, only love can do that.”

“I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the
way our world is made. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being
independent, we are interdependent.”

“Freedom has always been an expensive thing. History is fit testimony to the fact
that freedom is rarely gained without sacrifice and self-denial.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an
inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever
affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

“A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.
The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the
welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some
bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.”

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense
than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
Quotes continued

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”

“The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the
oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to
it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage
that they did not know they had. Finally it reaches the opponent and so stirs
his conscience that reconciliation becomes a reality.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by
the oppressed.”

“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good
men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men
must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek
to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real
order of justice.”

“This is the great new problem of mankind. We have inherited a large house, a
great ‘world house’ in which we have to live together– black and white, Easterner
and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu– a
family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can
never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.”

“The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for
carving out peaceful tomorrows.”
To read transcripts or listen to audio recordings of King’s most famous speeches,
visit the King Center at thekingcenter.org.
Source:
American Profile,
quotes-video/
http://americanprofile.com/articles/martin-luther-king-jr-
“I Have a Dream” Speech
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
August 28, 1963
“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest
demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today,
signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great
beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of
withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free; one hundred years later, the life
of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination; one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in
the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity; one hundred years later, the Negro is
still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own
land.
So we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense we’ve come to
our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were
signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was the
promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the
unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note in so far as her
citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has
given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient
funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to
believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.
And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the
riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of
now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing
drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make the real the promises of democracy; now is
the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of
racial justice; now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to
the solid rock of brotherhood; now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s
children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This
sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a
beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now
be content, will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There
will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship
rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until
the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the worn threshold
which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we
must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by
drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on
the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to
degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights
of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy, which has
engulfed the Negro community, must not lead us to a distrust of all white people. For
many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to
realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that
their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we
walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn
back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights, “When will you be
satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the
unspeakable horrors of police brutality; we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies,
heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and
the hotels of the cities; we cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is
from a smaller ghetto to a larger one; we can never be satisfied as long as our children
are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites
Only”; we cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and the
Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No! no, we are not
satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters and
righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations.
Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from
areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and
staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative
suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back
to Mississippi. Go back to Alabama. Go back to South Carolina. Go back to Georgia. Go
back to Louisiana. Go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that
somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of
despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and
tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I
have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
creed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a
dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of
former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have
a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of
injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of
freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character.
I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!
I have a dream that one day down in Alabama — with its vicious racists, with its
Governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification — one
day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with
little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain
shall be made low. The rough places will be plain and the crooked places will be made
straight, “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will
be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be
able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of
brother-hood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to
struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that
we will be free one day. And this will be the day. This will be the day when all of God’s
children will be able to sing with new meaning, “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of
liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every
mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation, this must
become true.
So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire; let freedom ring from
the mighty mountains of New York; let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania; let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado; let freedom
ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that. Let freedom ring from
Stone Mountain of Georgia; let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee; let
freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi. “From every mountainside, let
freedom ring.”
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from
every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed
up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles,
Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old
Negro spiritual: “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”
Source of Text of Speech: Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have A Dream: Writings and
Speeches that Changed the World, ed. James Melvin Washington (San Francisco:
Harper, 1986), 102-106.
Web Source: Teaching American History.org,
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/i-have-a-dream-speech/
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Washington, D.C.
The Stone of Hope
The Memorial
On August 28, 2011, a memorial to civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. opened
to the public in Washington, D.C. The memorial is the first on the National Mall that
honors an African American and the first that honors a person who did not serve as
president. The Washington Post describes the memorial like this:
The sculpture, called "Stone of Hope," stands looking onto the basin, across from
the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and next to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.
King's head, his upper body and the tops of his legs emerge from stone. Lei Yixin
(pronounced "lay ee-shin"), a granite sculptor from China, designed it so that
King is part of the stone.
The sculpture's name refers to a line in King's "I Have a Dream" speech. "With
this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope,"
King said. His statue is designed to look as if he were once a part of the
"Mountain of Despair" but is now the "Stone of Hope."
The memorial was a long time coming. The idea was first presented by a chapter of
King's fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha in 1984 and President Clinton signed a congressional
authorization for the memorial in November 1996. Today, the Memorial is administered
by the National Park Service. The Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a
week and there is no fee to visit the memorial.
The Inscriptions
Each side of the Stone of Hope includes an additional statement attributed to Dr. King.
"Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope" is the quotation that serves as the
basis for the monument's design. The quote is from the “I Have a Dream Speech”
delivered by Dr. King in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. The words on the other
side of the stone originally read, "I Was a Drum Major for Justice, Peace, and
Righteousness,” which is a paraphrased version of a longer quote by King: "If you want
to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a
drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other
shallow things will not matter." The paraphrased version of the quote was criticized,
removed and replaced with the original quote in August 2013. Fourteen quotes from
King's speeches, sermons, and writings are inscribed on the Inscription Wall. The
quotes are as follows:
South Wall

"We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends
toward justice." Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
out hate, only love can do that." Strength to Love, 1963.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in
reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964.

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal
rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country,
and a finer world to live in." March for Integrated Schools, April 18, 1959.

"I oppose the war in Vietnam because I love America. I speak out against it not in
anger but with anxiety and sorrow in my heart, and above all with a passionate
desire to see our beloved country stand as a moral example of the world."
Anti-War Conference, Los Angeles, California, February 26, 1967.

"If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather
than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and
our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective."
Christmas
sermon, Atlanta, Georgia, 1967.
North Wall

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an
inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever
affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Letter from Birmingham, Alabama
jail, April 16, 1963.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a
day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality,
and freedom for their spirits."
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo,
Norway, 1964

"It is not enough to say 'We must not wage war.' It is necessary to love peace
and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of
war, but the positive affirmation of peace."
Anti-War Conference, Los Angeles,
California, February 25, 1967.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy." Strength to Love, 1963.

"Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in
order to preserve the best in their individual societies."
New York City, April 4,
1967.

"We are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs 'down
like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.'"
Montgomery, Alabama,
December 5, 1955.( Here, King borrows a verse from the Bible, the Book of
Amos, which he frequently reused in speeches.)

"We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a
society that can live with its conscience."
Montgomery, Alabama, March 25,
1965.

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
Stride Toward Freedom, 1958
Additional information regarding the Memorial may be obtained from the National Park
Service at http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm.
A virtual tour of the memorial may be viewed at the National Public Radio site at
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/139845832/martin-luther-kingmemorial-opens-to-the-public
Sources: NPS, http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm; and, NPR
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/139845832/martin-luther-kingmemorial-opens-to-the-public
Photographs of Dr. King
Source: http://www.walkingbutterfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/martin-luther-kingjr.jpg
Source: http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/King-Jr-Martin-Luther.jpg
Source:
http://myhero.com/images/guest/g225867/hero63923/g225867_u74421_martin_luther_k
ing_jr_4.jpg
Dr. King delivering the “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. on
August 28, 1963.
Source: https://ametia.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dr-martin-luther-king-i-have-adream-speech4.jpg
Over 200,000 people were present to hear the “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington,
D.C.
Source: http://i2.wp.com/www.whywegive.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mlk-martinluther-king-jr1.gif?resize=620%2C349
Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities
for the
Secondary Classroom
 Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Middle and Senior
High School
 Analyzing the “I Have a Dream” Speech – Middle and Senior
High School
 The Protests in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 and the Letter
from the Birmingham Jail – Middle and Senior High School
 Civil Rights Timeline – Middle and Senior High School
 Analyzing Famous Quotations by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Middle and Senior High School
 Additional Activities to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will describe the life and lasting contributions of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.
2. The students will describe the influence of individuals (Dr. King) on social and
political developments of this era in American History.
3. The students will analyze support for and resistance to civil rights for women,
African Americans, Native Americans, and other minorities.
4. The students will differentiate fact from opinion, utilize appropriate historical
research and fiction/nonfiction support materials.
5. The students will utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify
author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a
historical period.
6. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
7. The students will determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize
complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing
them in simpler but still accurate terms. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1-2 class periods
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTE: Separate middle and senior high school reading assignments
and questions are provided for this lesson. Teachers may use the reading and
questions most appropriate for their students.
1. As an introduction, show students an image of Dr. King (included in the
Background section of this instructional resource guide) and, if technology is
available, play one or more of the on-line speech recordings of Dr. King to the
class.
TEACHER’S NOTE: Recordings of Dr. King’s speeches may be found on-line at:
a. The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford
University, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/
b. NPR, The Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/march40th/speeches.html
c. Dr. Martin Luther King.com, http://www.drmartinlutherkingjr.com/
d. Teacher Tube, http://www.teachertube.com/search/googlesearch?query=mlk+speeches&safe=high&searchtype=all&head_curriculum=0&head_content_area=0&head_subject=0&he
ad_category=0&head_skill=0#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=mlk%20speeches&gsc.pa
ge=1
2. Briefly discuss why students believe Dr. King was important in the history of our
country and review the concept of civil rights.
TEACHER’S NOTES:
Civil rights are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and to be free
from unfair treatment or discrimination by governments, social organizations, and
individuals. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly;
the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in
public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are
denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or
class. Various jurisdictions have enacted statutes to prevent discrimination based
on a person's race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical
limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual orientation.
Historically, the Civil Rights Movement referred to efforts, most notably in the
1950s and 1960s, toward achieving true equality for African-Americans in all
facets of society. However, today the term "civil rights" is also used to describe
the advancement of equality for all people regardless of race, sex, age, disability,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation or certain other characteristics.
Sources:
http://civilrights.findlaw.com/civil-rights-overview/what-are-civilrights.html; and, http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_rights
A timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement is included in the
Background section of this instructional resource guide.
3. Have students read the “Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” assignment
(provided) and answer the questions about the reading (provided).
4. Discuss the answers to the reading questions, with special emphasis given to Dr.
King’s efforts to ensure civil rights for all citizens.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the reading and questions.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: Images of Dr. King (provided in the Background section
of this instructional resource guide); “Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
(provided); Questions (provided)
SOURCES: Social Studies for Kids,
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/martinlutherking2.htm;
History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr; The King
Center, http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king
Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Middle School Reading)
Introduction
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and social activist who
played an important role in the American Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s
until his assassination in 1968.
Dr. King was inspired by supporters of nonviolent protest such as Mohandas Gandhi of
India. Through marches, boycotts, sit-ins, and other peaceful protests, Dr. King sought
social change, equality, and justice for African Americans and the economically
disadvantaged. He was the inspiration and leader for important events such as the
Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. His work helped bring about
such historic laws as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday since 1986.
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Early Years and Family
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was the
second child of Martin Luther King, Sr. (1899-1984), a pastor, and Alberta Williams King
(1904-1974), a former schoolteacher. Along with his older sister, Christine (born 1927),
and younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King (1930-1969), he grew up in Atlanta’s
Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
A gifted student, King attended segregated public schools. (Segregation is the practice
or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other.
People who favor segregation are called segregationists.) At the young age of 15, he
was admitted to Morehouse College where he studied medicine and law. He had not
intended to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the ministry. However, he changed
his mind under the guidance of Dr. Benjamin Mays, the president of Morehouse. Dr.
Mays was an influential religious leader and activist for racial equality and civil rights.
After graduating from Morehouse in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary
in Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951. He was also
elected president of his mostly white senior class.
King then enrolled in a graduate program at Boston University where he earned a
doctorate in theology in 1955. While in Boston, he met Coretta Scott (1927-2006), a
young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of
Music. The couple married in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Alabama, where Dr.
King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. They had four children:
Yolanda Denise King (1955-2007), Martin Luther King III (born 1957), Dexter Scott King
(born 1961) and Bernice Albertine King (born 1963).
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The King family had been living in Montgomery, Alabama for less than a year when the
highly segregated city became the center of the growing struggle for civil rights in the
United States. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks (1913-2005), secretary of the local
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter (NAACP), refused
to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus and was arrested.
Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for over a year. The boycott
caused a severe economic strain on the public transportation system and on business
owners in downtown Montgomery. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader and official
spokesman for the boycott.
By the time the Supreme Court ruled, in November 1956, that segregated seating on
public buses was illegal, Dr. King was already known throughout the nation as a major
leader of nonviolent protest for civil rights. He had also become the target of violence
and threats on his life.
Strengthened by the boycott’s success, he and other civil rights activists founded the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. SCLC’s goal was to
achieve full equality for African Americans through nonviolence. Dr. King would remain
as the leader of this influential organization until his death.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
In his role as SCLC president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled across the country
and around the world giving lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights, as well as
meeting with other activists and political leaders. During a month-long trip to India in
1959, Dr. King had the opportunity to meet Mohandas Gandhi, the man he described in
his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change.” Dr.
King also wrote several books and articles during this time.
In 1960, Dr. King and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he joined his father as
co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This new position did not stop Dr. King and
his SCLC partners from becoming key players in many of the most significant civil rights
battles of the 1960s. Their belief in nonviolent protest was put to the test in Birmingham,
Alabama in 1963. Civil rights activists used a boycott, sit-ins, and marches to protest
segregation, unfair hiring practices, and other injustices in Birmingham. Dr. King was
arrested on April 12 for his involvement in the protest. While in jail, Dr. King wrote the
famous civil rights statement known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The letter
was addressed to a group of white ministers who had criticized King’s methods of
protest. King’s letter defended civil disobedience. (Civil disobedience is refusing to
obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something.)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Marches for Freedom
Later in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked with civil rights and religious groups to
organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event was attended by
200,000 to 300,000 participants and is considered one of the most important events in
the history of the American Civil Rights Movement. It contributed to the passage of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The march concluded with Dr. King’s most famous address, the “I Have a Dream”
speech. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King shared his vision of a
future in which “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...’”
The speech and march reinforced Dr. King’s reputation at home and abroad as a
champion for equality and justice. Later that year, he was named Man of the Year by
TIME magazine, and, in 1964, became the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize.
In the spring of 1965, Dr. King’s reputation drew international attention to the violence
that broke out between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Selma,
Alabama. The SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had
organized a voter registration campaign in Selma. Captured on television, the brutal
scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from across the country to
gather in Selma and take part in a march to Montgomery led by Dr. King. President
Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973) sent in federal troops to keep the march peaceful. That
August, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote first awarded by the 15th Amendment - to all African Americans.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Final Years and Assassination
The events in Selma deepened a growing difference between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and young radicals who rejected his nonviolent methods and commitment to working
within the established political framework. As more militant black leaders such
as Stokely Carmichael (1941-1998) rose to prominence, Dr. King expanded his activism
to address issues such as the Vietnam War and poverty among Americans of all races.
In 1967, Dr. King and the SCLC started a bold program known as the Poor People’s
Campaign, which was to include a massive march on the capital.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, Dr. King was fatally shot while standing on the balcony
of a motel in Memphis, Tennessee where he had traveled to support a garbage workers’
strike. Immediately following his death, riots swept major cities across the country.
President Johnson declared a national day of mourning. James Earl Ray (1928-1998),
an escaped convict and known racist, pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced
to 99 years in prison.
After years of campaigning by activists, members of Congress, and Coretta Scott King,
President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) signed a bill in 1983 creating a U.S. federal
holiday in honor of Dr. King. Observed on the third Monday of January, it was first
celebrated in 1986.
Conclusion
Dr. King stood for the non-violent pursuit of equal rights and civil liberties for all
Americans, especially African Americans. The King Center in Atlanta summarizes his
legacy as follows:
“During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the
modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4,
1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality
in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely
regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the
greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.”
Sources: Reading adapted from History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/blackhistory/martin-luther-king-jr ; http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king
Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Senior High School Reading)
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and social activist who played
a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his
assassination in 1968. Inspired by advocates of nonviolence such as Mohandas
Gandhi, Dr. King sought equality for African Americans, the economically
disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving
force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on
Washington, which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1964 and is remembered each year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal
holiday since 1986.
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Early Years and Family
The second child of Martin Luther King Sr. (1899-1984), a pastor, and Alberta Williams
King (1904-1974), a former schoolteacher, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in
Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929. Along with his older sister, the future Christine
King Farris (born 1927), and younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King (1930-1969),
he grew up in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, then home to some of the most
prominent and prosperous African Americans in the country.
A gifted student, King attended segregated public schools. (Segregation is the practice
or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other.
People who favor segregation are called segregationists.) At the age of 15, he was
admitted to Morehouse College, the alma mater of both his father and maternal
grandfather, where he studied medicine and law. Although he had not intended to follow
in his father’s footsteps by joining the ministry, he changed his mind under the
mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an influential theologian and
outspoken advocate for racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer
Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree,
won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his predominantly white
senior class.
King then enrolled in a graduate program at Boston University, completing his
coursework in 1953 and earning a doctorate in systematic theology two years later.
While in Boston, he met Coretta Scott (1927-2006), a young singer from Alabama who
was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. The couple wed in 1953 and
settled in Montgomery, Alabama, where Dr. King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue
Baptist Church. They had four children: Yolanda Denise King (1955-2007), Martin
Luther King III (born 1957), Dexter Scott King (born 1961) and Bernice Albertine King
(born 1963).
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The King family had been living in Montgomery for less than a year when the highly
segregated city became the epicenter of the burgeoning struggle for civil rights in
America, galvanized by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision
of 1954. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks (1913-2005), secretary of the local National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter, refused to give up her seat
to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a
bus boycott that would continue for over a year, placing a severe economic strain on the
public transit system and downtown business owners. They chose Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.
By the time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses
unconstitutional in November 1956, Dr. King, heavily influenced by Mohandas Gandhi
(1869-1948) and the activist Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), had entered the national
spotlight as an inspirational proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance. (He had also
become a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.)
Emboldened by the boycott’s success, in 1957 he and other civil rights activists - most
of them fellow ministers - founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC), a group committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through
nonviolence. Its motto was “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed.”
He would remain at the helm of this influential organization until his death.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
In his role as SCLC president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled across the country
and around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights as well as
meeting with religious figures, activists and political leaders. (During a month-long trip to
India in 1959, King had the opportunity to meet Gandhi, the man he described in his
autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change.”) Dr.
King also authored several books and articles during this time.
In 1960,Dr. King and his family moved to Atlanta, his native city, where he joined his
father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This new position did not stop Dr.
King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players in many of the most
significant civil rights battles of the 1960s. Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a
particularly severe test during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists
used a boycott, sit-ins, and marches to protest segregation, unfair hiring practices and
other injustices in one of the nation’s most racially divided cities. Arrested for his
involvement on April 12, Dr. King penned the civil rights manifesto known as the “Letter
from Birmingham Jail,” an eloquent defense of civil disobedience addressed to a group
of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics. (Civil disobedience is refusing to obey
laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something.)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Marches for Freedom
Later in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked with a number of civil rights and
religious groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a
peaceful political rally designed to shed light on the injustices African Americans
continued to face across the country. Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000
to 300,000 participants, the event is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the
history of the American Civil Rights Movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
The march culminated in Dr. King’s most famous address, known as the “I Have a
Dream” speech, a spirited call for peace and equality that many consider a masterpiece
of rhetoric. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - a monument to the president
who a century earlier had brought down the institution of slavery in the United States he shared his vision of a future in which “this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal.’” The speech and march cemented Dr. King’s reputation at home and abroad.
Later that year he was named Man of the Year by TIME magazine and in 1964 became
the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In the spring of 1965, Dr. King’s elevated profile drew international attention to the
violence that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in
Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC) had organized a voter registration campaign. Captured on television, the brutal
scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from across the country to
gather in Selma and take part in a march to Montgomery led by King and supported by
President Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973), who sent in federal troops to keep the peace.
That August, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote
- first awarded by the 15th Amendment - to all African Americans.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Final Years and Assassination
The events in Selma deepened a growing rift between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and
young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods and commitment to working
within the established political framework. As more militant black leaders such
as Stokely Carmichael (1941-1998) rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of
his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam War and poverty among Americans
of all races. In 1967, Dr. King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious program known
as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive march on the capital.
On the evening of April 4, 1968, Dr. King was fatally shot while standing on the balcony
of a motel in Memphis, where he had traveled to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In
the wake of his death, a wave of riots swept major cities across the country, while
President Johnson declared a national day of mourning. James Earl Ray (1928-1998),
an escaped convict and known racist, pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced
to 99 years in prison. (He later recanted his confession and gained some unlikely
advocates, including members of the King family, before his death in 1998.)
After years of campaigning by activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King,
among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) signed a bill creating a
U.S. federal holiday in honor of Dr. King. Observed on the third Monday of January, it
was first celebrated in 1986.
Conclusion
Dr. King stood for the non-violent pursuit of equal rights and civil liberties for all
Americans, especially African Americans. The King Center in Atlanta summarizes his
legacy as follows:
“During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the
modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until April 4,
1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality
in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr. King is widely
regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of nonviolence and one of the
greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.”
Source:
Reading adapted from History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/blackhistory/martin-luther-king-jr ; http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king
Questions - Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (Middle School)
1. Who inspired Dr. King’s belief in nonviolent protests such as marches and
boycotts?
2. Define segregation:
3. Define civil disobedience:
4. Place the following events about King’s early life and education in chronological
order (1-4):
_____ King earns a Bachelor of Divinity degree.
_____ King attends Morehouse College.
_____ King marries Coretta Scott.
_____ King earns a Doctorate of Theology degree from Boston University.
5. In your own words, describe the events and results of the following important civil
rights events:
a. Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955:
b. Protests in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963:
c. March on Washington, 1963:
d. The Voter Registration Campaign in Selma, Alabama, 1965:
6. Why did Dr. King write his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”?
Questions - Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (Middle School continued)
7. When and where did Dr. King deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech?
8. Describe the differences young, militant black leaders had with Dr. King’s
nonviolent methods of protest:
9. Place the following events in Dr. King’s life chronological order:
_____Dr. King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.
_____Dr. King and other civil rights activists organize the SCLC.
_____King earns his doctorate from Boston University.
_____Dr. King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
_____ Dr. King helps organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
_____ The Civil Rights Act is passed.
_____ The Voting Rights Act is passed.
10. Dr. King was a major leader in the American civil rights movement. Describe
three examples from the reading that demonstrate Dr. King’s commitment to civil
rights.
Questions - Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (Senior High School)
1. Who inspired Dr. King’s belief in nonviolent protests such as marches and
boycotts?
2. Who did Dr. King seek equality for?
3. Define segregation:
4. Define civil disobedience and give an example of civil disobedience from the
reading:
5. Place the following events about King’s early life and education in chronological
order (1-4):
_____ King earns a Bachelor of Divinity degree.
_____ King attends Morehouse College.
_____ King marries Coretta Scott.
_____ King earns a Doctorate of Theology degree from Boston University.
6. In your own words, describe the events and results of the following important civil
rights events:
a. Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955:
b. Protests in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963:
Questions - Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
(Senior High School continued)
c. March on Washington, 1963:
d. The Voter Registration Campaign in Selma, Alabama, 1965:
7. Why did Dr. King write his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”?
8. When and where did Dr. King deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech?
9. Describe what you believe Dr. King meant when he shared his vision of a future
in which “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...’ ”
10. Describe the differences young, militant black leaders had with Dr. King’s
nonviolent methods of protest:
11. Place the following events in Dr. King’s life chronological order:
_____Dr. King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C.
_____Dr. King and other civil rights activists organize the SCLC.
_____King earns his doctorate from Boston University.
_____Dr. King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Questions - Biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
(Senior High School continued)
_____ Dr. King helps organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
_____ The Civil Rights Act is passed.
_____ The Voting Rights Act is passed.
12. Dr. King was a major leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. Describe
three examples from the reading that demonstrate Dr. King’s commitment to civil
rights.
13. The King Center describes King’s legacy as follows:
“During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of
the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December, 1955 until
April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward
racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced. Dr.
King is widely regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate of
nonviolence and one of the greatest nonviolent leaders in world history.”
Below, summarize your personal feelings about Dr. King’s contributions and
legacy:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Analyzing the “I Have a Dream” Speech
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary source
(i.e., “I Have a Dream” speech).
2. The students will evaluate Dr. King’s philosophy and vision as outlined in the “I
Have a Dream” speech by corroborating or challenging them with other
information.
3. The students will utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify
author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a
historical period.
4. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
5. The students will determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize
complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing
them in simpler but still accurate terms. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME:
1-2 class periods
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
1. Review the information covered in the previous lesson regarding Dr. King’s
leadership in the American Civil Rights Movement.
2. Explain to students that they are going to listen to and analyze Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.'s famous “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered in Washington D.C. in
1963 as part of the March on Washington. Students will also consider their own
views on the core principles Dr. King addressed in the speech, including justice,
freedom, and brotherhood/sisterhood.
3. Play a recorded version of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech so
students can get a sense of Dr. King's delivery and the passion the speech
generated. After listening to the speech, discuss the advantages of listening to
the speech rather than just reading it.
Recording of Dr. King’s speeches may be found on-line at:
a. The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford
University, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/
b. NPR, The Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/march40th/speeches.html
c. Dr. Martin Luther Ling.com, http://www.drmartinlutherkingjr.com/
d. Teacher Tube, http://www.teachertube.com/search/googlesearch?query=mlk+speeches&safe=high&searchtype=all&head_curriculum=0&head_content_area=0&head_subject=0&he
ad_category=0&head_skill=0#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=mlk%20speeches&gsc.pa
ge=1
A copy of the full-text of the “I Have a Dream” speech is also found in the
Background section of this instructional resource guide.
TEACHER’S NOTES ON THE “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now legendary, “I Have a Dream” speech,
at “The March on Washington,” August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
The march for “Jobs and Freedom,” organized by a diverse group of civil rights,
labor, and religious organizations, drew between 200,000 – 300,000 people,
becoming one of the largest political rallies for human rights in our history. Many
regarded the March and speech by Dr. King as crucial to the passage of the Civil
Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965).
King’s oration - part speech, part sermon, part prophecy - was the high point of
the rally, remembered most for his “dream” vision of the future that articulated the
aspirations of the American Civil Rights Movement. The speech raises interesting
questions.

The speech begins (and ends) by emphasizing freedom: What does Dr.
King mean by freedom, and in what sense does he regard African
Americans as “still not free”?





The speech then moves to speak about justice: Can you say what he
means by “justice” - equality of rights, equality before the law, equality of
opportunity, equality of economic and social condition, or something else?
And what is the connection, according to Dr. King, between justice and
freedom? Might increasing justice for some require limiting freedom for
others?
In recounting his dream of the future, Dr. King speaks not only of freedom
and justice but also of brotherhood and sisterhood: How is this related to
the other goals? Is the goal of brotherhood/sisterhood rooted in the
American dream of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” or was Dr.
King, the minister, referring to the Biblical references to
brotherhood/sisterhood?
Is Dr. King, in his remark about the “color of their skin” and the “content of
their character,” preaching a vision of color-blind America, where race is
irrelevant?
When Dr. King concludes with the moving call “Let freedom ring,” does it
carry the same meaning as it does in his source, “My Country ’Tis of
Thee”? What would it mean to be “free at last”?
More information on the March on Washington can be found here:
http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_marc
h_on_washington_for_jobs_and_freedom/.
Source of Notes: Adapted from http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/
4. Either as homework or classwork, have students read the speech (or a section of
it, depending on the students’ grade level), paying special attention to:



the central ideas and themes of the speech (freedom, justice,
brotherhood/sisterhood);
the meaning of the words and phrases as they are used in the speech,
including how Dr. King uses the same key terms over the course of a text;
and,
how the speech is structured, including key sentences, paragraphs, and
larger portions of the text.
A copy of the full-text of the “I Have a Dream” speech is found in the Background
section of this instructional resource guide.
5. To help students analyze the speech and its themes, set up three stations
around the room, one for each theme: freedom, justice, and
brotherhood/sisterhood.
Group students in pairs or in small groups and have them rotate through each
station. Instruct them to answer the question at each station with their
partner/small group. They may write down their answers on the margins of their
speeches or on a separate sheet of paper.
TEACHER’S NOTE: Separate questions are provided for middle and senior
high school students. Adapt the questions to meet the needs of your
students.
Middle School:
a. Questions for the Freedom Station:
The speech emphasizes the importance of freedom. What does Dr. King
mean by freedom? Does Dr. King feel that African Americans as still not
free? Use examples from the speech and what you know about the Civil
Rights Movement to defend your answer.
b. Questions for the Justice Station:
Dr. King speaks about justice in the speech. What do you think he means
by justice? Is he talking about equality of rights, equality under the law,
economic and social equality, or something else? Use examples from the
speech and what you know about the Civil Rights Movement to defend
your answer.
c. Questions for the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Station:
In describing his dream of the future, Dr. King also speaks of brotherhood
and sisterhood. What does Dr. King mean by brotherhood/sisterhood?
How is this related to the other goals of freedom and justice? How much
brotherhood/sisterhood can be found today in the U.S.?
Senior High School:
a) Questions for the Freedom Station:
The speech begins and ends by emphasizing freedom: What does Dr.
King mean by freedom, and in what way does he regard African
Americans as “still not free”? Use examples from the speech and what you
know about the Civil Rights Movement to defend your answer.
b) Questions for the Justice Station:
Dr. King speaks about justice: Can you say what he means by “justice” equality of rights, equality before the law, equality of opportunity,
economic and social equality, or something else? Use examples from the
speech and what you know about the Civil Rights Movement to defend
your answer.
c) Questions for the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Station:
In describing his dream of the future, Dr. King also speaks of brotherhood
and sisterhood. What does Dr. King mean by brotherhood/sisterhood?
How is this related to the other goals of freedom and justice? Is the goal of
brotherhood/sisterhood included in the American dream of “life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness?”
6. After students have rotated through each station, discuss the questions
answered at each station as an entire class.
7. Conclude the lesson by discussing the following questions:


If you were asked to give a public speech in Washington, DC about what
is needed today for a better nation, what would you say?
What is your “dream” for our nation and world? How would you convince
others to follow your dream?
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Participation in the class and group discussion.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: Recording of the “I Have a Dream Speech”; copies of
the “I Have Dream” speech (included in the Background section of this resource guide)
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
a) Write an essay answering the following: Choose one of the themes (freedom,
justice, brotherhood/sisterhood) that Dr. King emphasized in his speech. How
free would Dr. King consider the U.S. to be today? How just? How much
brotherhood/sisterhood can be found in the U.S.? Defend your answer with
specific examples from current events.
b) Imagine you are a newspaper reporter covering the March on Washington. After
listening to Dr. King’s speech, write an article describing the speech and the
crowd’s reaction.
c) Research the inscriptions on the recently erected Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial in Washington, DC. Choose your favorite inscription and write a
paragraph describing why you think it was chosen for Dr. King’s memorial. (A list
of the inscriptions can be found in the Background section of this instructional
resource guide.)
SOURCE: Adapted from http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE:
The Protests in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963 and the Letter from the
Birmingham Jail
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will assess key figures and organizations in shaping the Civil Rights
Movement and Black Power Movement.
2. The students will analyze support for and resistance to civil rights for women,
African Americans, Native Americans, and other minorities.
3. The students will evaluate the historical significance of the civil rights protests in
Birmingham, Alabama in 1963.
4. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary source
(i.e., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”).
5. The students will identify, within both primary and secondary sources, the author,
audience, format, and purpose of significant historical documents.
6. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 2-3 class periods
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTE: Separate middle and senior high school reading assignments
are provided for this lesson. Teachers may use the reading most appropriate for
their students.
1. Explain that the protests in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 provide an excellent
case study for the American Civil Rights Movement and for examining the role
Dr. King played in leading the efforts to end segregation. Provide students with a
brief introduction to the events in Birmingham:



The Birmingham campaign in 1963 consisted of a series of lunch counter
sit-ins, marches on City Hall and boycotts of downtown businesses to
protest segregation laws in the city.
The peaceful demonstrations were met with violent attacks using highpressure fire hoses and police dogs on men, women and children alike -producing some of the most iconic and troubling images of the Civil Rights
Movement.
The protests are considered a critical crossroad in the struggle for civil
rights for African Americans. The protests strengthened the leadership
role of Dr. King in the movement, forced desegregation in Birmingham,
and directly led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial
discrimination in hiring practices and public services in the United States.
2. To prompt student interest in the lesson, view one or more video clips on the
events in Birmingham. Discuss student reactions to the video clips.
Video clips may be found at the following sites:
Birmingham March and arrest of Dr. King - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lD37bq8Y
The Birmingham Children’s Crusade of 1963 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-children-who-marched-into-civil-rights-history/
http://www.biography.com/news/black-history-birmingham-childrens-crusade1963-video
Bombing of 16 Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/birmingham-churchbombing/videos/bombing-of-the-16th-street-baptist-church
http://www.schooltube.com/video/0a42bfb25c865187b548/
3. Assign the reading titled, “Birmingham 1963” (both middle and senior high school
readings are provided). While reading, ask students to be ready to discuss the
following questions about the events in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963:
Middle School:
a) What was the main purpose for organizing the protest campaign in
Birmingham, Alabama in 1963?
b) Why did Dr. King conclude that he had to risk being jailed in Birmingham?
c) What was the “Call to Unity?” What did Dr. King explain in his response
titled, “The Letter from Birmingham Jail?”
d) What was the Children’s Crusade? How were student protestors treated
by local police and fire departments?
e) What specific agreements were reached between the protestors and the
leaders in Birmingham?
f) Following the agreement in Birmingham, how did segregationists
respond?
g) What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibit?
Senior High School:
a) What was the main purpose for organizing the protest campaign in
Birmingham, Alabama in 1963? What specific strategy was used in the
campaign?
b) Why was Dr. King initially concerned about possibly being arrested in
Birmingham? Why did Dr. King finally conclude that he had to risk being
jailed in Birmingham?
c) What was the “Call to Unity?” What did Dr. King explain in his response
titled, “The Letter from Birmingham Jail?”
d) What was the Children’s Crusade? How were student protestors treated
by local police and fire departments?
e) Describe how the agreement to end the protests was reached in
Birmingham.
f) What specific agreements were reached between the protestors and the
leaders in Birmingham?
g) Following the agreement in Birmingham, how did segregationists
respond?
h) How is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 directly related to the agreements
reached in Birmingham in 1963?
4. Discuss the reading questions. Note again that the events in Birmingham provide
an opportunity to understand the Civil Rights Movement in its entirety. It is an
excellent opportunity to study Dr. King’s leadership and the efforts of activists to
end segregation and promote civil rights. It is also an opportunity to examine
primary sources including video footage of the protests and the “Letter from the
Birmingham Jail” written by Dr. King.
5. Explain that students will now have the opportunity to read excerpts from the
“Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter is one of the classic documents of the
Civil Rights Movement. The letter was written by Dr. King in response to the
“Call for Unity” issued by eight, white religious leaders who expressed concern
and caution about the Birmingham protests.
6. Explain that the “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” is a primary source document.
Before assigning the reading, review the following steps for effectively examining
any primary source document
a) Why is this document a primary source rather than a secondary source?
b) What kind of primary source is being examined? (examples: letter,
photograph, a will, diary entry)
c) What is the date of the document? Why is the date important to
understanding the document?
d) Who is the author of the document? Is this person of historical
significance? Do you believe that the author of this document is credible?
Is this document written as a requirement of the author's occupation or is
this a personal document?
e) For what audience was this document written?
7. Assign the reading of the “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” The reading may be
done individually or in pairs with partners discussing their answers.
While reading, ask students to be ready to discuss the following questions about
the content of the letter:
a) Why did Dr. King write this letter? Use quotes from the letter to support
your position.
b) In the letter, how does Dr. King explain the need for nonviolent action in
Birmingham?
c) Identify three (3) points that Dr. King made in the letter that you feel are
most important.
d) List two (2) things from the letter that describe the lack of equal rights
experienced by African Americans in Birmingham.
e) One of Dr. King’s most famous quotes from the letter states, “Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an
inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”
Explain the quote.
8. Discuss the reading questions. As closure, ask: Did the nonviolent, direct action
in Birmingham which Dr. King describes in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
successfully transform Birmingham, Alabama from a segregated to a just society
in 1963?
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the reading and questions.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: Video clips; Copies of “Birmingham 1963” (provided);
copies of “The Letter from the Birmingham Jail” (excerpts provided); Discussion
Questions (provided)
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
a) Have students create a timeline about the Birmingham Movement with both
visuals and text.
b) Have students identify a current law they feel is unjust and create a strategy to
change the law based on the nonviolent philosophy.
c) Have students create a magazine or newspaper article to commemorate the
events in Birmingham.
SOURCES:
a) http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_birmingh
am_campaign/
b) http://www.newseum.org/wp
content/uploads/2014/08/education_resources_letterfrombirminghamjail.pdf
c) http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/letter-from-birmingham-cityjail-excerpts/
d) http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/resources/article/lesson_plan_kings_lette
r_from_birmingham_jail/
Birmingham 1963 (Middle School)
The Protests in Birmingham
In April 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) joined with local black leaders in Alabama in a campaign to end
segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. (Segregation is the practice or policy of keeping
people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other. People who favor
segregation are called segregationists.) Birmingham was one of the most segregated
cities in the nation at the time. The plan was to end segregation by putting economic
pressure on the businesses in Birmingham through sit-ins, boycotts, and other nonviolent protests.
On April 3rd, the desegregation plan started with a series of meetings, lunch counter sitins, marches on City Hall, and a boycott of downtown businesses. (A boycott occurs
when people join together and refuse to deal with a group or business as a way of
protesting or forcing changes.) Dr. King spoke to black citizens about his belief in nonviolent protests and he recruited volunteers for the campaign to end segregation in
Birmingham. With the number of black volunteers increasing daily, actions soon
expanded to kneel-ins at churches, sit-ins at the library, and a march on the county
building to register voters. Hundreds of protestors were arrested in Birmingham..
On April 10th, the city government of Birmingham obtained a court injunction (order)
against the protests. After much debate, Dr. King and the campaign leaders decided to
disobey the court order. However, because the money available for bail bonds was low,
Dr. King and the campaign leaders could no longer guarantee that arrested protestors
would be released from jail. Dr. King considered whether he and other leaders should
be arrested. Dr. King knew that he needed to be free to raise funds for bail money for
those in jail, but he also worried that his failure to submit to arrest might hurt his
credibility with the protestors. King decided that he must risk going to jail in Birmingham.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”
On Friday, April 12th, Dr. King was arrested in Birmingham after violating the antiprotest court order and was kept in solitary confinement. The same day that Dr. King
was arrested, a letter written by eight white ministers from Birmingham titled, “A Call for
Unity,” was printed in The Birmingham News. The letter called for an end to protests
and demonstrations for civil rights in Birmingham. On April 16, 1963, Dr. King
responded to “A Call for Unity” with his own message which has come to be known as
his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” Dr. King’s letter defended the protests and the
nonviolent strategies used by the protestors.
While in jail, Dr. King’s request to call his wife, Coretta Scott King, was denied. She
was at home in Atlanta recovering from the birth of their fourth child. After she
communicated her concern to President John F. Kennedy’s administration, Birmingham
officials permitted Dr. King to call home. Bail money was also made available and Dr.
King was released from jail on April 20, 1963. Dr. King had spent eight days in jail.
The Children’s Crusade
In order to continue the campaign in Birmingham, some organizers suggested using
young children in demonstrations. On May 2nd, more than 1,000 African American
students attempted to march into downtown Birmingham and hundreds were arrested.
When hundreds more gathered the following day, Public Service Commissioner Bull
Connor directed local police and fire departments to use force to halt the
demonstrations. During the next few days, images of children being blasted by highpressure fire hoses, clubbed by police officers, and attacked by police dogs appeared
on television and in newspapers across the United States. These images caused an
international outrage.
Reaching an Agreement in Birmingham
The anti-segregation boycotts and protests hurt white businesses in Birmingham. Still,
many business owners and city officials were unwilling to negotiate with the protestors
about their demands. President Kennedy and United States Attorney General Robert
Kennedy sent Burke Marshall to Birmingham to handle negotiations between prominent
black leaders and members of Birmingham’s business community.
The business leaders wanted street protests to stop as an act of good faith before any
settlement was reached. Dr. King told the negotiators he would accept the compromise
and call the demonstrations to a halt. Some local protest leaders were angry that the
protests were ended by Dr. King and they threatened to resume the protests if
negotiations
did
not
quickly
resolve
their
demands
for
change.
By May 10th, negotiators had reached an agreement between the leaders in
Birmingham and the protestors. The agreement included: the removal of ‘‘Whites Only’’
and ‘‘Blacks Only’’ signs in restrooms and on drinking fountains; a plan to desegregate
lunch counters; an ongoing ‘‘program of upgrading Negro employment;’’ the formation of
a committee to monitor the progress of the agreement; and, the release of jailed
protestors on bond.
Violence Continues – The Bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church
Segregationists in Birmingham responded to the agreement with a series of violent
attacks. That night an explosion went off near the Gaston Motel room where Dr. King
and SCLC leaders had previously stayed, and the next day the home of Dr. King’s
brother Alfred Daniel King was bombed. President John F. Kennedy responded by
ordering 3,000 federal troops into position near Birmingham and making preparations to
call up the Alabama National Guard.
Four months later, on September 15th, Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members bombed
Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing four young girls. Dr. King delivered
the eulogy at the September 18th funeral of three of the victims, preaching that the girls
were ‘‘the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity.”
Conclusion
The Birmingham campaign brought racial segregation and violence against black
activists in the South to the world’s attention. The campaign strengthened Dr. King's
reputation as a leader, forced desegregation in Birmingham, and directly paved the way
for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial discrimination in hiring practices
and public services in the United States.
Sources:
http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_birmingham_ca
mpaign/
http://www.newseum.org/wp
content/uploads/2014/08/education_resources_letterfrombirminghamjail.pdf
Birmingham 1963 (Senior High School)
The Protests in Birmingham
In April 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) joined with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
(ACMHR), in a campaign to attack the segregation system in Birmingham, Alabama.
Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the nation at the time. The
campaign strategy was to put economic pressure on Birmingham’s businesses during
the Easter season through sit-ins, boycotts, and other nonviolent protests.
On April 3rd, the desegregation campaign was launched with a series of mass meetings,
lunch counter sit-ins, marches on City Hall, and a boycott of downtown businesses. Dr.
King spoke to black citizens about the philosophy of nonviolence and its methods and
recruited volunteers for the campaign. With the number of black volunteers increasing
daily, actions soon expanded to kneel-ins at churches, sit-ins at the library, and a march
on the county building to register voters. Hundreds of protestors were arrested.
On April 10th, the city government of Birmingham obtained a court injunction (order)
against the protests. After much debate, Dr. King and the campaign leaders decided to
disobey the court order. However, because the money available for bail bonds was low,
Dr. King and the campaign leaders could no longer guarantee that arrested protestors
would be released. Dr. King considered whether he and other leaders should be
arrested. Dr. King knew that he needed to be free to raise funds for bail money for those
in jail, but he also worried that his failure to submit to arrest might hurt his credibility with
the protestors. King concluded that he must risk going to jail in Birmingham.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”
On Friday, April 12th, Dr. King was arrested in Birmingham after violating the antiprotest court order and was kept in solitary confinement. The same day that Dr. King
was arrested, a letter, signed by eight white ministers from Birmingham titled, “A Call for
Unity,” was printed in The Birmingham News. The letter called for an end to protests
and demonstrations for civil rights in Birmingham. On April 16, 1963, King responded to
“A Call for Unity” with his own message which has come to be known as his “Letter from
the Birmingham Jail.” Dr. King’s letter defended the protests and the nonviolent
strategies used by the protestors.
While in jail, Dr. King’s request to call his wife, Coretta Scott King, who was at home in
Atlanta recovering from the birth of their fourth child, was denied. After she
communicated her concern to the President John F. Kennedy’s administration,
Birmingham officials permitted Dr. King to call home. Bail money was made available
and Dr. King was released from jail on April 20, 1963. Dr. King had spent eight days in
jail.
The Children’s Crusade
In order to continue the campaign in Birmingham, SCLC organizer James
Bevel proposed using young children in demonstrations. Bevel’s rationale for the
Children’s Crusade was that young people represented an untapped source of freedom
fighters. On May 2nd, more than 1,000 African American students attempted to march
into downtown Birmingham and hundreds were arrested. When hundreds more
gathered the following day, Public Service Commissioner Bull Connor directed local
police and fire departments to use force to halt the demonstrations. During the next few
days, images of children being blasted by high-pressure fire hoses, clubbed by police
officers, and attacked by police dogs appeared on television and in newspapers across
the United States. These images caused an international outrage. Dr. King offered
encouragement to parents of the young protesters: “Don’t worry about your children,
they’re going to be alright. Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail. For they are
doing a job for not only themselves, but for all of America and for all mankind.”
Reaching an Agreement in Birmingham
In the meantime, the anti-segregation campaign was effectively hurting white
businesses in Birmingham. Still, many business owners and city officials were unwilling
to negotiate with the protestors about their demands. With national pressure on
President Kennedy to act also growing, United States Attorney General Robert Kennedy
sent Burke Marshall, his chief civil rights assistant, to handle negotiations between
prominent black citizens and leaders of Birmingham’s business community.
The business leaders wanted street protests to stop as an act of good faith before any
settlement was declared.
Marshall encouraged campaign leaders to halt
demonstrations and negotiate the rest of their demands afterward. Some black leaders
were open to the idea, and on May 8th, Dr. King told the negotiators he would accept the
compromise and call the demonstrations to a halt. Some local protest leaders were
angry that the protests were ended by Dr. King and they threatened to resume the
protests if negotiations did not quickly resolve their demands for change.
By May 10th, negotiators had reached an agreement between the leaders in
Birmingham and the protestors. The agreement included: the removal of ‘‘Whites Only’’
and ‘‘Blacks Only’’ signs in restrooms and on drinking fountains; a plan to desegregate
lunch counters; an ongoing ‘‘program of upgrading Negro employment;’’ the formation of
a biracial committee to monitor the progress of the agreement; and, the release of jailed
protestors on bond.
Violence Continues – The Bombing of the Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church
Birmingham segregationists responded to the agreement with a series of violent
attacks. That night an explosive went off near the Gaston Motel room where Dr. King
and SCLC leaders had previously stayed, and the next day the home of King’s
brother Alfred Daniel King was bombed. President John F. Kennedy responded by
ordering 3,000 federal troops into position near Birmingham and making preparations to
call up the Alabama National Guard.
Four months later, on September 15th, Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members bombed
Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing four young girls. Dr. King delivered
the eulogy at the September 18th, joint funeral of three of the victims, preaching that the
girls were ‘‘the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity.”
Conclusion
The Birmingham campaign brought racial segregation and violence against black
activists in the South to the world’s attention. The campaign strengthened Dr. King's
reputation as a leader, forced desegregation in Birmingham, and directly paved the way
for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial discrimination in hiring practices
and public services in the United States.
Sources:
http://mlkkpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_birmingham_ca
mpaign/
http://www.newseum.org/wp
content/uploads/2014/08/education_resources_letterfrombirminghamjail.pdf
Letter From Birmingham City Jail (Excerpts)
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 16, 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen,
While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail, I came across your recent statement
calling our present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer
criticism of my work and ideas … But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and
your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope
will be patient and reasonable terms.
I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced
by the argument of “outsiders coming in.” I have the honor of serving as president of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern
state with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some 85 affiliate organizations all
across the South … Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to
be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary.
We readily consented.
In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: 1) collection of the facts to determine
whether injustices are alive; 2) negotiation; 3) self-purification; and 4) direct action. We have
gone through all of these steps in Birmingham … Birmingham is probably the most
thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in
every section of the country. Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious
reality. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in
Birmingham than in any city in this nation. These are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable
facts. On the basis of these conditions Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city
fathers. But the political leaders consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation.
Then came the opportunity last September to talk with some of the leaders of the economic
community. In these negotiating sessions certain promises were made by the merchants—
such as the promise to remove the humiliating racial signs from the stores. On the basis of
these promises Reverend Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian
Movement for Human Rights agreed to call a moratorium on any type of demonstrations. As
the weeks and months unfolded we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise.
The signs remained. As in so many experiences in the past, we were confronted with
blasted hopes, and the dark shadow of a deep disappointment settled upon us. So we had
no alternative except that of preparing for direct action, whereby we would present our very
bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and national
community. We were not unmindful of the difficulties involved. So we decided to go through
the process of self-purification. We started having workshops on nonviolence and
repeatedly asked ourselves the questions, “are you able to accept the blows without
retaliating?” “Are you able to endure the ordeals of jail?”
You may well ask, “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn’t negotiation a better
path?” You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct
action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative
tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the
issue.
My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without legal
and nonviolent pressure. History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged
groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and
give up their unjust posture; but as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are more
immoral than individuals.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have never yet engaged in a
direct action movement that was “well timed,” according to the timetable of those who have
not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word
“Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This “wait” has almost
always meant “never.” It has been a tranquilizing Thalidomide, relieving the emotional
stress for a moment, only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration. We must come to
see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The
nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward the goal of political
independence, and we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of
coffee at a lunch counter.
I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait.
But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown
your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick,
brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast
majority of your 20 million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the
midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech
stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the
public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see the tears
welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and
see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her
begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white
people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking in
agonizing pathos: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?” when you
take a cross country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the
uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are
humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” men and “colored” when
your first name becomes “nigger” and your middle name becomes “boy” (however old you
are) and your last name becomes “John,” and when your wife and mother are never given
the respected title of “Mrs.” when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact
that you are a Negro, living constantly at tip-toe stance, never quite knowing what to expect
next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a
degenerating sense of “nobodiness”—then you will understand why we find it difficult to
wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer
willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of
corroding despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable
impatience.
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must
confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white
moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great
stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White citizens’ “Councilor” or the Ku
Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who
prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the
presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t
agree with your methods of direst action” who paternistically feels that he can set the
timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly
advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from
people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.
Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
You spoke of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that
fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I started thinking
about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community.
One is a force of complacency made up of Negroes who, as a result of long years of
oppression, have been so completely drained of self-respect and a sense of
“somebodiness” that they have adjusted to segregation, and a few Negroes in the middle
class who, because of a degree of academic and economic security, and at points they
profit from segregation, have unconsciously become insensitive to the problems of the
masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred and comes perilously close to
advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are
springing up over the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammad’s Muslim
movement. This movement is nourished by the contemporary frustration over the continued
existence of racial discrimination. It is made up of people who have lost faith in America,
who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man in
an incurable “devil.”
The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations. He has to get them out.
So let him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand
why he must have sit-ins and freedom rides. If his repressed emotions do not come out in
these nonviolent ways, they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a
threat; it is a fact of history. So I have not said to my people, “Get rid of your discontent.” But
I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled through the
creative outlet of nonviolent direct action.
In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the
white religious leadership in the community would see the justice of our cause and, with
deep moral concern, serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to
the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been
disappointed. I have heard numerous religious leaders of the South call upon their
worshippers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have
longed to hear white ministers say follow this decree because integration is morally right
and the Negro is your brother. In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I
have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies
and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and
economic injustice, I have heard so many ministers say, “Those are social issues with which
the Gospel has no real concern,” and I have watched so many churches commit themselves
to a completely other-worldly religion which made a strange distinction between body and
soul, the sacred and the secular.
I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make
it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader, but as
a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial
prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our
fear-drenched communities and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love
and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all of their scintillating beauty.
Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
M. L. King, Jr.
Source:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/letter-from-birmingham-cityjail-excerpts/
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Civil Rights Timeline
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will use a timeline to identify and describe important events in the
American Civil Rights Movement.
2. The students will utilize timelines to identify the time sequence of historical data.
3. The students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1 class period
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
1. Review the definitions of “civil rights” and “social movements.”
TEACHER’S NOTES:
Civil rights are the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment and to be free
from unfair treatment or discrimination by governments, social organizations, and
individuals. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly;
the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in
public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are
denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or
class. Various jurisdictions have enacted statutes to prevent discrimination based
on a person's race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical
limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual orientation.
Historically, the Civil Rights Movement referred to efforts, most notably in the
1950s and 1960s, toward achieving true equality for African-Americans in all
facets of society. However, today the term "civil rights" is also used to describe
the advancement of equality for all people regardless of race, sex, age, disability,
national origin, religion, sexual orientation or certain other characteristics.
A social movement includes activities undertaken by a group of people to
achieve change.
2. Pass out copies of the “Civil Rights Timeline - Milestones in the Modern Civil
Rights Movement” (provided in the Background section of this instructional
resource guide). To help students become confident with the use of the timeline,
have students answer the following questions for practice while using the timeline
as a reference:
a. When did President Lyndon Johnson sign the Civil Rights Act? What did
this law prohibit?
b. Who was Rosa Parks and what action did she take that led to the
Montgomery Bus Boycott? When did Rosa Parks die?
c. When did the U.S. Supreme Court rule that segregation in public schools
is unconstitutional? In what famous case did the Supreme Court make
this decision?
d. When did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. write his “Letter from a Birmingham
Jail?”
3. Explain to students that they will be identifying five major events during the Civil
Rights Movement. Pass out the worksheet titled, “Civil Rights Timeline”
(provided) and have students complete the assignment using the timeline as a
reference.
OPTIONAL: Have students work in pairs to complete the worksheet. If this
option is used, have each student record their own answers on the worksheet,
including the short-response question.
4. Have students share and discuss their findings with the class. See if there is
consensus on the most important events.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the timeline activity.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: Civil Rights Timeline - Milestones in the Modern Civil
Rights Movement (provided in the Background section of this instructional resource
guide); Civil Rights Timeline worksheet (provided)
SOURCES: Lesson adapted from http://www.eduplace.com/activity/pdf/civilrights.pdf;
Timeline from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
Civil Rights Timeline
Directions: Review the Civil Rights Timeline. Select 5 events from the timeline and
provide the date and a description of each event you have selected.
Event: ________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Event: ________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Event: ________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Civil Rights Timeline (continued)
Event: ________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Event: ________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________________________________
Description: ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Short-Response: Of the five events you have chosen to describe, which event do you
feel was the most important in the Civil Rights Movement? Explain your choice.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Analyzing Famous Quotations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will analyze public statements made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. The students will identify, within both primary and secondary sources, the author,
audience, format, and purpose of significant historical documents.
3. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1 class period
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
1. Explain that in today’s activity, students will read and analyze famous quotations
by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To introduce students to the activity, discuss the
following quotation taken from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech:”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content
of their character.”
To help students place the speech in context, remind them that Dr. King
delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at “The March on Washington” on August
28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The march for “Jobs and Freedom”
drew between 200,000 to 300,000 people, becoming one of the largest political
rallies for civil rights in our history. King’s address was part speech, part sermon,
and part prophecy. Dr. King’s “dream” helps summarize the vision of the civil
rights movement. It was the high point of the rally.
Questions to discuss when analyzing the “I Have a Dream” quote:
a) In your own words, explain Dr. King’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
b) When and where was this speech made? Who was Dr. King’s audience
for the speech? Why is it important to know when and where a quote was
made? Why is it important to know the audience?
c) What was the main idea in Dr. King’s statement?
d) How does the statement support Dr. King’s overall beliefs and his work in
Civil Rights Movement?
2. Divide the class into small groups and distribute copies of “Memorable Quotes by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” to each group (provided in the Background section of
this instructional resource guide). Also distribute copies of the “Quotation
Analysis Worksheet” (provided) to each group.
Ask each group to select three (3) quotations to analyze. Answer the questions
for each of the three (3) quotes selected.
Provide each group with the ability to search online for references regarding the
quote (i.e., date/place/audience; purpose of the statement).
3. Discuss the quotes selected and analyzed by each group.
4. As closure, ask the class to select the three quotations they believe best
characterize Dr. King’s commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for all
people.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the quotation analysis activity.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: “Memorable Quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
(provided in the Background section of this instructional resource guide); and,
“Quotation Analysis Worksheet” (provided)
SOURCES: Adapted from a lesson developed by the U.S. House of Representatives,
file:///C:/Users/John/Downloads/wic-lesson-plan-07.pdf
Quotation Analysis Worksheet
Directions: Select three quotes from the list of famous quotes by Dr. King and answer
each question below for all three quotations. Use your own paper if you need additional
space for your answers.
Quote #1: _____________________________________________________________
1. When and where was this quote made?
2. Who was Dr. King speaking to when he made this statement?
3. What is the main topic of the quote?
4. How does the statement support Dr. King’s overall beliefs and his work in Civil
Rights Movement?
Quote #2: _____________________________________________________________
1. When and where was this quote made?
2. Who was Dr. King speaking to when he made this statement?
Quotation Analysis Worksheet continued
3. What is the main topic of the quote?
4. How does the statement support Dr. King’s overall beliefs and his work in Civil
Rights Movement?
Quote #3: _____________________________________________________________
1. When and where was this quote made?
2. Who was Dr. King speaking to when he made this statement?
3. What is the main topic of the quote?
4. How does the statement support Dr. King’s overall beliefs and his work in Civil
Rights Movement?
Additional Activities to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The following are additional ideas for teaching about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. The ideas should be adapted to meet the age and abilities of
students.
Poetry (All grades) Invite students to write poems about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Geography (Upper elementary and secondary) On a U.S. map, highlight places of
importance in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place a pushpin at each location
and extend a strand of yarn from the pin to a card at the edge of the map. On the card
explain the importance of that place.
More Geography (Upper elementary and secondary) On March 21, 1965, Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. led a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to focus attention on
black voter registration in Selma. More than 3,000 people began the march. By the
time the marchers arrived at the state capitol in Montgomery, their ranks had swelled
to 25,000! Five months later, President Lyndon Johnson would sign into law the Voting
Rights Bill. The march started at Brown’s Chapel in Selma, crossed the Edmund
Petras Bridge, and headed down route 80 to Montgomery. On a map, invite students
to find the route the march traveled and to figure out approximately how many miles
many of the marchers walked.
History/Role Playing. (Upper elementary and secondary) Make a list of events that
are included on your Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. timeline (e.g., Rosa Parks' bus ride,
integrating Little Rock's schools, a lunch counter protest, the "I Have a Dream"
speech). Let students work in groups to write short plays in which each group acts out
one of the events.
Writing (Upper elementary and secondary) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, "I Have a
Dream” speech is one of the most famous and often quoted speeches of all time. Read
the speech aloud. Invite students to listen to the speech. Write on a chart some of the
"dreams" that Dr. Martin Luther King expressed in it. Ask students to think about the
things they dream for themselves, their families, their country, and the world, and to
express those dreams in their own "I Have a Dream…" essays.
Discussion (Upper elementary and secondary) After learning about the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., invite students (first individually, then in pairs, then in small
groups) to think about and to respond to the question: “Why do you think so many
people look upon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a "true American hero"? Then pull the
entire class back together and let each group share one idea that came out of its
discussion. OPTION: Provide a different question for each team. Invite them to
research and prepare a report that answers the question. Possible questions: Who
was Mohandas Gandhi? How did he influence Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? or Dr. King
led the fight against laws that were unfair to black people. What were some of the laws
and situations that Dr. King wanted to change?
Music (Secondary) Discuss with students the meaning of the words to the song “We
Shall Overcome” in light of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and the civil rights
movement. If possible, play a recording of the song. In addition, you might be able to
locate a copy of "We Shall Overcome," a PBS documentary that chronicles the history
of this famous civil rights hymn.
Internet Resources
Internet Resources to Support Instruction on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The following are a few of the many comprehensive websites on the life and works of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Additional web sites are also listed as sources on the
individual lesson plans included in this instructional resource guide.
http://www.thekingcenter.org - The website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Center, provides historical information, a schedule of national events including web cast
events, and a means for individuals and groups to volunteer for a community service
project.
http://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm - The birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is
part of the National Park Service. The website contains information about his birth
home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, and an
outline of educational programs which are directed by the Park Service at these sites.
http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm - This National Park Service site provides
information on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
http://www.nationalservice.gov/special-initiatives/days-service/martin-luther-kingjr-day-service
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides
resources and tips for creating and enhancing service projects which honor Dr. King’s
legacy of tolerance, peace and equality by meeting community needs and making the
holiday “a day ON, not a day OFF.”
http://www.seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk - The Seattle Times site includes
information about Dr. King, his influence and perspectives on his work from various
facets of the community. Also included are lesson plans.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/king/ This website of the Stanford University, Martin
Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, initiated by the Atlanta-based King Center, is one of
only a few large scale research ventures focusing on an African American. The Project
provides documentary information about Dr. King’s ideas and achievements. In
addition, the Project includes the Liberation Curriculum initiative which provides high
school teachers with educational materials that engage students in active learning and
critical inquiry. The Center also provides students with an opportunity to become
involved through a King Fellowship Program.
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson248.shtml This teacher -friendly
site includes more than 20 lesson plans on Dr. King for grades pre – K to 12.
Secondary Character Education
Activities to Support Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Holiday and Day of Service
Secondary Character Education Activities to Support
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and Day of Service
Core Value: Pursuit of Excellence
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is committed to helping all students
develop the values and strength of character needed for them to become caring,
responsible citizens at home, school, and in the community. To support this goal,
character education has been an instructional requirement, grades K-12, since 1995.
The foundation of the District’s character education requirement is the nine core values
adopted by The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida in 1995. The District’s
nine core values are: citizenship, cooperation, fairness, honesty, integrity, kindness,
pursuit of excellence, respect, and responsibility. Each month a different core value has
been designated for emphasis in all classrooms throughout the District.
In January, students need to recognize the importance of the pursuit of
excellence. The pursuit of excellence includes challenging yourself to do the best with
the talents you have. Students should be challenged to strive toward a goal and never
give up. Highlighting this value is a great way to kick off the new calendar year and to
encourage commitment to resolutions and goals for 2016.
In addition to the enclosed lessons for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and Day of
Service, teachers may further emphasize the pursuit of excellence through the following
lesson ideas.
Pursuit of Excellence:

To begin the discussion of this month’s value – the pursuit of excellence – have
students complete the following self-assessment.
Do you pursue excellence? True or False
__________
I always do my best; I strive for excellence.
__________
I am willing to risk failure for a worthy goal.
__________
I am self-disciplined.
__________
I make sure to learn from my mistakes and failures.
__________
I try to see the big picture and think long term.
__________
I set goals and stay focused.
__________
I don't give up just because things seem difficult.
__________
I don't procrastinate.

To illustrate the “pursuit of excellence” and the importance of determination, ask
students to make a list of the three things in school that are easy for them and
three things that seem difficult. Ask each student to write out a plan on what they
can do to overcome the difficulties.

Brainstorm ways in which students can become more organized and disciplined
in school. Discuss the problems students’ face, such as putting things off and not
completing assignments. Make a list of the skills and attitudes needed for
students to take more responsibility for their own learning, and to reach their
goals.

Have students write about an event in their life in where they succeeded at
something which was very challenging. Discuss: How did your efforts illustrate
the “pursuit of excellence”?

Benjamin Franklin said, "Diligence is the mother of good luck." Discuss: What
does that mean? How true is it?

Discuss: Have you ever felt that pressures from your peers prevented you from
accomplishing something you wanted? Have you ever been affected by negative
comments people have made about your abilities? What can you do about these
kinds of external pressures when they get in the way of your success?

Discuss: What is diligence? What is discipline? What is perseverance? How
would you rate yourself in each of these areas? How could you improve?

Ask students to select someone in the community who has exemplified the
“pursuit of excellence” in their personal and professional life. Invite this person to
speak to your class about his/her own background, any obstacles overcome, and
the factors that led to his/her success.

As a group project, have students research Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. Ask
students to list the general principles they can gather from his personal values
and work habits that can be applied to the students’ school work. As a class,
make a list of these principles. As a follow-up assignment, research other
individuals who have pursued excellence despite difficulties and setbacks such
as Thomas Edison.
Anti-Discrimination Policy
Federal and State Laws
The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida adheres to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment
and educational programs/activities and strives affirmatively to provide equal opportunity for all as
required by:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or
national origin.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended - prohibits discrimination in employment on the
basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) as amended - prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age with respect to individuals who are at least 40.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 as amended - prohibits gender discrimination in payment of wages to
women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - prohibits discrimination against the disabled.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits discrimination against individuals with
disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations and telecommunications.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) - requires covered employers to provide up to 12
weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for certain family and medical reasons.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 - prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of
pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
Florida Educational Equity Act (FEEA) - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national
origin, marital status, or handicap against a student or employee.
Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 - secures for all individuals within the state freedom from discrimination
because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.
Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - Prohibits discrimination
against employees or applicants because of genetic information.
Veterans are provided re-employment rights in accordance with P.L. 93-508 (Federal Law) and Section
295.07 (Florida Statutes), which stipulate categorical preferences for employment.
In Addition:
School Board Policies 1362, 3362, 4362, and 5517 - Prohibit harassment and/or discrimination against
students, employees, or applicants on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnic or national origin, religion,
marital status, disability, genetic information, age, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender
identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy, and any other legally
prohibited basis. Retaliation for engaging in a protected activity is also prohibited. Rev. (05-12)