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Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) was a social activist and Baptist minister
who played a crucial role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-
1950s until his assassination in 1968. He sought equality and human rights for
African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and all victims of injustice
through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events
such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington,
which helped bring about landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act and
the Voting Rights Act.

King attended segregated public schools and was admitted to Morehouse

College at the age of 15. Under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Mays, an
influential theologian and outspoken advocate for racial equality, King changed
his mind and entered the ministry. After graduating in 1948, he enrolled in a
graduate program at Boston University, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity
degree and was elected president of his predominantly white senior class.
King then enrolled in a graduate program at Boston University, where he
completed his coursework in 1953 and earned a doctorate in systematic
theology two years later. While in Boston, he met Coretta Scott, 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 King
became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. They had four children:

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 Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Delter Scott King, and Bernice
Albertine King.
The highly segregated city of Montgomery became the epicenter of the
burgeoning struggle for civil rights in America, galvanized by the landmark
Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954. On December 1, 1955, Rosa
Parks, secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (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 381 days, placing a severe economic
strain on the public transit system and downtown business owners. They chose
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, King 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. In 1960, King and his family moved to Atlanta, where he joined his
father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church.
King's 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 America's most racially divided cities. The March on Washington
culminated in King's most famous address, known as the "I Have a Dream"
speech, a spirited call for peace and equality.

In 1965, King's elevated profile drew international attention to the violence that
erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Selma,
Alabama. The events in Selma deepened a growing rift between King and
young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods and commitment to
working within the established political framework.

Aspect Details

Born in 1929, Atlanta, Georgia. Inspired by Christian teachings &

Background
Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance.

Founded Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to

Leadership
unify civil rights protests.

Protests & Arrests Arrested multiple times, led Selma to Montgomery March (1965).

Major Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights Act (1965), awarded Nobel
Achievements Peace Prize (1964).

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 Assassination Shot in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking nationwide protests and
(1968) riots.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent civil rights leader, born in Atlanta,
Georgia, and graduated from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sociology. He began his career as a pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist
Church in Montgomery, Alabama, at the age of 26. King began his career as a
leader during the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and delivered powerful
speeches promoting peace and desegregation. He won the Nobel Peace Prize
before his assassination in 1968.
King helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in
1957, which used Black churches' authority to organize non-violent protests.
King applied Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience to SCLC
protests, leading to media coverage of daily inequities and mass public
sympathy. In 1956, King wrote a letter after being arrested at a peaceful protest
in Birmingham, Alabama, justifying civil disobedience by stating that without
forceful action, true civil rights would never be achieved.

The American Civil Rights Movement, spanning from the 1950s to the 1960s,
was primarily led by African Americans, with support from white allies and
organizations. Key events in the movement included the founding of the NAACP
in 1909, the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, and the landmark Supreme Court
decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The movement led to the
desegregation of public facilities, landmark laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, increased political participation, and social
and cultural change.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a significant legal battle in 1956, challenged

Alabama's bus segregation laws, leading to the desegregation of buses in
Montgomery. Rosa Parks, known as the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,"
continued to be an active participant in the movement.

King was born into a religious and activist family, influenced by his father, a
reverend and NAACP leader. In his letter to Birmingham, King justifies civil
disobedience by stating that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere. He believes that freedom is never voluntarily given by the
oppressor, but must be demanded by the oppressed.

In March On Washington, over 20,000 Black and White Americans celebrated in

a joyous day of song, prayer, and speeches. King's powerful speech, "I Have A
Dream," stated that he desired a world where Black and White people could

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 coexist equally. He used various symbols in his poetic address, including the
Bible, Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and
Emancipation Proclamation.

🌍 UNIT 1: Supranational Alliances, Warfare & Peacekeeping

Connection: United Nations and Human Rights

King’s activism aligned with global principles of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

The UN was used as a pressure tool against the U.S. for racial injustice,
notably in the “We Charge Genocide” petition (1951).

Global peacekeeping ideals reflected in King’s non-violent philosophy,

inspired by Gandhi.

MLK is an example of resisting internal violence without warfare—

influential to soft diplomacy models in peacekeeping.

🗽 UNIT 2: Rights and Social Protests

Direct Anchor Unit

MLK led mass protests like:

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56)

Birmingham Campaign (1963)

March on Washington (1963)

Selma to Montgomery March (1965)

Advocated civil disobedience (Letter from Birmingham Jail).

Challenged racial inequality, becoming a symbol of justice, rights, and

protest.

Influenced major legislative changes: Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting

Rights Act (1965).

💱 UNIT 3: Trade, Aid & Exchange

Connection via Economic Justice

MLK advocated for economic equality as part of civil rights: fair wages,
worker rights, and poverty reduction.

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 Critiqued racial disparities in economic access, especially in urban
employment and housing.

Promoted redistribution through aid and equal economic exchange.

Linked the fight for civil rights with labor rights and trade unions.

🌿 UNIT 4: Resource Management

Connection via Social Resources & Urban Justice

Fought for fair distribution of land, housing, energy access, especially

for marginalized Black communities.

Addressed urban inequality, e.g., poor access to clean water, energy,

and public services in segregated neighborhoods.

Advocated for equitable management of urban resources, pushing for

better public schools, transport, and infrastructure.

Called for a "beloved community" with shared responsibility and

sustainable resource use.

🏙️Environments
UNIT 5: Sustainable Management of Natural and Urban

Urban Environment

Fought systemic urban racism in northern cities like Chicago,

challenging discriminatory housing policies, zoning, and redlining.

Called attention to the impact of urban overcrowding and poor

services on minorities.

Protested against urban ghettoization — unequal access to clean,

sustainable urban environments.

Demanded sustainable cities with equal rights, sanitation, mobility, and

economic opportunity.

🌐 UNIT 6: Globalization and Development

Cultural Globalization:

MLK became an international icon of justice and equality. His message

spread globally—linked to global movements against apartheid, caste,

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 and colonization.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, showing his global
impact.

Economic Development:

Advocated for equal access to jobs, banking, and economic systems

for Black Americans.

Connected poverty alleviation to human rights (Poor People’s

Campaign).

Stressed the need for inclusive development that aligns with SDGs,
especially education, justice, and reduced inequality.

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