MLK is undoubtedly one of the most important figures of the 20th century when it comes to the fight for human rights and equality in the United States of America. The inception of King’s activities coincide with the incident of Rosa Parks in 1955, in which she did not give up her seat in a bus in Montgomery, contrary to the regulations in force at the time. As a result of the protests, the Montgomery Improvement Association was established, with King at the helm. The pastor was immediately harassed, both by political opponents and authorities, even assassination attempts began, for which the Ku Klux Klan movement was also responsible. As a result of the success of the bus boycott and numerous demonstrations around the country, King gained became a public figure.
In February 1957, he led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He traveled the world, invited by authorities in many countries, including countries such as India, Ghana, Nigeria, Italy, and England. He met with Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy, whom he ultimately supported in the presidential election.
At the turn of the 1950s, the SCLC took part in many anti-segregation protests in various cities, mainly in the southern cities of the US,, such as Albany, Birmingham, the latter of which was successful.
The turning point in his life was 1963, when the famous march to Washington took place on August 28 in the name of equality, where Martin Luther King made his famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” He became Man of the Year of the Time magazine.
In 1964, the US president of the time, Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, guaranteeing African Americans equal electoral rights.Later, King received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
The following years witnessed successful demonstrations, which led to the signing of a new law on an electoral law that granted the African American minority the much-deserved rights, and in Chicago, he strived alongside SCLC activists to eliminate slums and improve the housing conditions of black communities.
Martin Luther King devoted his entire life to the fight for equality and human rights, although he was repeatedly assaulted, wounded, arrested and until he was brutally assassinated on April 4, 1968, in a hotel near Memphis.
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