The Change Martin Luther King Jr. Made
Ronan Bennett
WW 7/8 B
Over the whole world's history, the way we moved forward has been when a brave person decided to step up and stand for what they believe in. There are tons of people all over the world making change in the world’s problems today. But it’s the changemakers who really stand out and are the ones who who inspire others to stand up for what they believe in. Those people are the ones who get their names written down in history. One of the most memorable changemakers ever was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist Minister and a social activist. He is best known for leading the African-American Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to his death by assassination in 1968. Even today, he is regarded as one of the most powerful changemakers in our world’s history. Martin Luther King Jr. is a role model change maker because he stood for his beliefs for civil rights, and inspired thousands of others to do the same.
Michael King was born on January 15, 1929. A few years later his father changed both his, and his son’s names to Martin Luther King. For college, he went to Morehouse College, and after that he went to Boston University. King was a social activist and strongly believed in nonviolent protesting. One of his inspirations was Mahatma Gandhi.
Martin Luther King Jr. lead many protests and rallies over civil rights. He was assassinated in 1968 when he was standing on the balcony of a hotel in Tennessee. Even today people mourn his death. It is clear that he has made his difference on the world.
One example of Martin Luther King Jr. inspiring people was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a civil-rights protest. The Boycott was when African Americans stopped riding city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregated seating. This event took place from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. Four days before the protest began, Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested for refusing to give her seat to a white man. On December 21, the U.S. Supreme Court decided for Montgomery to integrate its bus system. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a powerful national leader of the civil rights movement while also making clear his commitment to nonviolent resistance was still very important to him.
Another example of Martin Luther King Jr. inspiring people was the was the March on Washington. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. achieved one of his most important accomplishments when he led around 200,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial The march was organized by King and civil rights, labor and religious groups in order to gain civil equality for African-Americans. It was here where King made his unforgettable “I Have a Dream” speech, which he spoke about ending racism. The march was vital in helping to pass the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, gender or national origin.
One last example of Martin Luther King Jr. inspiring people is his resilience and his determination. No matter what anyone said he would not give up until he got what he was fighting for. One piece of evidence is that he has been locked in jail 29 times due to civil disobedience and trumped-up charges. Most of them were because of his protests.
In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. is not just a role model and a inspiration but also a hero in the Civil Rights Movement. From the March on Washington, to the Montgomery Bus Boycott you can really tell how important nonviolent protesting was to him. He took inspiration from Gandhi and you can see how both of them are similar. Martin Luther King Jr. still inspires millions of others to stand for what they believe in today, which makes him a legendary change maker.
Sources
“Martin Luther King Jr.: 8 peaceful protests that bolstered civil rights” The Christian Science Monitor. January 15, 2012. March 5, 2018. <https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/0115/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.-8-peaceful-protests-that-bolstered-civil-rights/Montgomery-bus-boycott-1955-56>
Carson, Clayborne/ Lewis, David. “Martin Luther King, Jr.” Encyclopædia Britannica. December 15, 2017. January 5, 2018. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther-King-Jr>
