Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Reader,

Many people look to Martin Luther King, Jr. for inspiration. For courage to do what is right in the face of injustice. Here is what a twelve-year-old boy had to say:

“Do you know who Martin Luther King, Jr. was? Do you know why he was so famous?
 
“Well, today, I will tell you who he was and why he was so famous. Martin was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up, the King family spent a lot of time in church, listening to Martin’s father preach. At that time, black and white Americans did not have equal rights, and Martin dreamed of equality.
 
“Martin would fight with words, without violent actions. He would be jailed and beaten, but never give up.
 
“In 1955, black people had to give up their bus seats for white people. If they refused, they would go to jail. In protest, the black people decided to boycott the bus services.

“After a year of boycotting, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in, and Martin won! Black people could now ride buses without giving up their seats. This boycott became viral, and by 1957, Martin was famous.

“Martin made many marvelous speeches about racism, and people agreed it was time for a change. Civil right groups joined together and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Council with Martin Luther King as the leader.

“In 1963, King spoke to a huge group of people in Washington, D.C.  He gave the famous speech: “I have a dream.”

“Sadly, Martin was shot outside his motel room on April 4th, 1968. Although he lived a short life, he lived a full life and he changed black people’s lives forever.”   – by Prabhdeep in grade six

“The time is always right to do what is right.”  – Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Books about people of African heritage