Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968
Martin Luther King:
A Great Civil Rights
Leader
• Martin Luther King believed in
freedom and equality for all
people.
• He did not believe in violence.
• He wanted to change the laws
through peaceful actions.
Jim Crow Laws
• African-Americans were not permitted
in certain restaurants, hotels, schools,
theaters, and other public places.
• As a child Martin was not allowed to
use the same restrooms, drink from
the same water fountains, or go to the
same schools as white children.
• Martin Luther King wanted to change
these laws.
His Childhood
• Martin’s parents taught him
responsibility and to treat
others with respect.
• Martin began to read before he
started school.
• He liked to read about AfricanAmerican heroes.
• Martin’s best friend as a child
was a white boy and as
children they played happily
together.
• When they reached school
age the friends found that
even though they lived in the
same neighborhood, they
could not go to the same
school.
• Martin’s friend went to a
school for white children only
and Martin was sent to a
school for black children.
• After the first day of school
Martin and his friend were
never allowed to play together
again.
College Years
• Martin started college when he
was only 15 years old.
• He attended Morehouse
College in Atlanta, Georgia.
• He studied hard and became a
minister.
• He graduated at age 18 and
then went to a school for
ministers in Pennsylvania.
• While at college Martin studied
a man named Gandhi who led
the people of India to change
laws in their country
peacefully.
• Martin then went to Boston
University where he earned
the title of “Doctor”.
• He met his future wife, Coretta
Scott, while he was living in
Boston.
Dr. King’s Adult Life
• In 1954 Martin and Coretta
moved to Alabama where he
became a pastor.
• He wanted to change the laws
of segregation.
• In Alabama, AfricanAmericans had to ride in the
back of the bus and they had
to give up their seats to white
people.
• On December 1, 1955, Rosa
Parks refused to give up her
seat on the bus.
• She was arrested.
• Dr. King called for a boycott of
the buses.
• For the next year the AfricanAmerican people of
Montgomery, Alabama did not
ride the buses.
• The bus companies lost a lot
of money.
• Some people were threatened
and attacked, but they still
refused to ride the buses.
• Dr. King encouraged his
friends to be peaceful and not
fight back.
• It took a year, but the law was
changed.
• African-American people could
sit on any seat in the bus and
they did not have to give up
their seat to someone else.
• For years Dr. King traveled
and gave speeches about
freedom.
• There were many boycotts and
marches for freedom.
• Dr. King always urged his
followers to be peaceful.
• People often tried to stop Dr.
King and sometimes they put
him in jail.
• He was called names and
treated badly.
• Someone threw a bomb at his
house.
• Because of Dr. King’s
leadership laws were changed
throughout the south.
• In 1963, over 250,000 people
who supported equal rights
marched in Washington.
• While in Washington, Dr. King
gave his most famous speech.
It was called, “I Have a
Dream”.
• In 1964, Dr. King was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize.
• He was the youngest man to
ever earn this prize.
• He was also the first AfricanAmerican to be on the cover of
Time magazine as their “Man
of the Year”.
• In April, 1968 Dr. King was in
Tennessee planning a march
for poor people.
• He was assassinated by
James Earl Ray while he stood
on the balcony of his hotel
room.
• People all over the world were
shocked and saddened by his
death.
• Dr. King believed he could
change things for the better
and do it without violence. He
made our country a better
place to live in.
• He was a courageous man.
• To honor his memory we
celebrate his birthday as a
National holiday.
• The third Monday of every
January is known as Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day
QUIZAnswer all of the questions with a complete
sentence on a sheet of paper.
1.When was Martin Luther King born?
2.How old was Martin when he started
college?
3.Where did Martin go to college?
4.Who did Martin marry?
5.When Martin became a pastor, where was
his church?
Quiz
6.
What did Martin lead in Montgomery,
Alabama?
7. What was the famous speech that
Martin gave in Washington, D.C.?
8. What great honor did Martin receive in
1964?
9. How did Martin die?
10. When is Martin Luther King Day
celebrated?
• The photographs included in this
PowerPoint are the property of The Center
for American History, University of Texas
and are used for educational purposes
with their permission.