Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fighter for Freedom

“If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live” (qtd.

by “Martin Luther King Quotes”). 205 feet away, James Earl Ray lined up his Remington pump rifle and took meticulous aim. Suddenly, he fired multiple times, but it took only one bullet to pierce the neck and sever the life of one of the most influential people America has ever seen. On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia (Jakoubek 10).

He graduated college at the young age of 18 and married Coretta Scott, who blessed him with four children: Yoland, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice (Schulke 80-84). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and is most remembered for his world renowned “I Have a Dream” speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (“Martin Luther King-Biography”). King was essential in advancing civil rights and influenced the whole movement along with the world by not only enforcing non-violent protests and making eloquent speeches to facilitate his cause, but also by encouraging education throughout his entire life. Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal” (qtd. by “Martin Luther King Quotes”).

Of all of King’s actions in the civil rights movement, his plea for non-violence and peace was of greatest significance. He first got involved in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. At that time, the bus system was segregated, and a city law required that when a white person wanted to sit in a seat or a row already occupied by a black person, the black individual had to give up his or her seat. King encouraged black people to boycott the city buses because he felt the law was preposterous.In a speech during the boycott, King emphasized that he did not want black people to use violence.

He believed that a peaceful protest was “the only weapon we have” (qtd. by “MLK Protests”). Segregationists attacked King’s home, but King still insisted on non-violent protests. The bus boycott lasted over a year. By promoting peaceful protests and non-violent actions, more people got involved in his marches, which led to change. In 1956, the US Supreme Court decided that segregation on Montgomery’s buses was unfair, and ordered the bus system to provide equal seating for all.

Furthermore, in 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. gain helped organize peaceful protests. In Selma, Alabama, white officials were preventing black people from voting in elections. King organized a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to alert people of this predicament. Police officers responded by using tear gas and clubs against the marchers. When this brutality was seen on television news, people were appalled.

King was determined to try the march again, but the President Johnson asked Congress to pass a bill that would make voting rights for blacks fair in Alabama and throughout the south. Within a few months, this bill became a law (“Selma to Montgomery March”).King’s encouragement of diplomacy rather than aggression changed the whole civil rights movement, proving that people can achieve satisfactory results with non-violence. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” (qtd.

by “MLK Quotes”). In order to encourage nonviolent protests, Martin Luther King, Jr. had to be an eloquent, well-spoken man. In fact, King was one of the most popular speakers of his century, traveling 780,000 miles in 1958 to give 208 speeches (Hamilton 97). He changed people with his vision and with his words, which touched not only his followers, but also his adversaries.He preached concern for families, friends, and neighbors.

He preached for those who worked for justice, freedom, and peace. He preached for the victims of hunger, fear, oppression, and sorrow. Most of all, he preached for the freedom of his people (“Martin Luther King: Preacher, Prophet, Poet”). He spoke daily, often several times a day. Most are familiar with his “I Have a Dream” speech, his declaration made in the shadow of our nation’s capital, but many have not heard the countless powerful and inspiring speeches he delivered day after day. Whenever King was questioned about the gains that had come about as a result of his efforts and speeches, King answered with a metaphor.

He would smile and say that the black man has straightened his back, and you can’t ride a man whose back is not bent” (qtd. by “Martin Luther King: Preacher, Prophet, Poet”). In 1964, Time magazine named Martin Luther King “Man of the Year”. When interviewed about his reaction, King responded with, “This is not a personal honor, but an honor to the whole freedom movement” (Hamilton 121).

In addition, six months before his assassination, Martin Luther King spoke to a group of students at Philly’s Barratt Junior High School. He said, “Number one in your own life’s blueprint should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth, and your somebodiness” (qtd. by Jakoubek 11). The meaning of his speeches together with his eloquence and the rhythmic flow of his words caught the attention of thousands and made many re-evaluate their lives.

“Don’t allow anybody to make you feel that you’re nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance” (qtd. y Jakoubek 11). King not only used his gift with words to promote nonviolence, but he was also exceptionally involved in educating the masses. In early 1947, King wrote The Purpose of Education, published in Morehouse College’s newspaper, the Maroon Tiger.

King’s theme was that education required not only reasoning ability but also character and moral development. “Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education” (qtd. by Jakoubek 25). Also, in 1964, King received the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

But education, which stops with efficiency, may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals” (qtd. by “The Answer Sheet”). King taught both students and adults about ethics and the importance of education, which are essential factors in every person’s life.

“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important”(King).Due to Martin Luther King, Jr. ’s involvement in the civil rights movement, he was a widely known man, and whether he was liked or not, people knew who he was and could visibly see the effect he was having upon the Civil Rights movement. When asked what he thought of Martin Luther King, Jr.

, Jay Schultz replied, “While I didn't agree with everything he said and or did, he was a visionary who guided the Civil Rights movement into the future and, thankfully, did it all in a non-violent, intelligent pan over many years.It’s a shame he was taken from us too soon. ” In addition, Benjamin Mays presented King’s Eulogy at Morehouse College in 1968, saying “If any man knew the meaning of suffering, King knew. House bombed; living day by day for 13 years under constant threats of death;… and yet this man had no bitterness in his heart, no rancor in his soul, no revenge in his mind; and he went up and down the length and breadth of this world preaching nonviolence and the redemptive power of love.

” (Mays) King knew he was going to be revered by some and hated by many.However, he stood up for what he believed in and has gained enormous amounts of respect by all who have heard of him, even after his death. “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last. ” (qtd.

by Schulke 50). Martin Luther King, Jr. , all in all, was a man of many awards and accomplishments throughout his life, and changed the course of American history. By peacefully promoting his beliefs, he set an example for the masses to do the same. His speeches made people re-evaluate their lives by the thousands and helped many others understand the importance of education.

In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. The MLK Day of Service takes place each year on the third Monday in January, and is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off" (“Serve”). King believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged everyone to do their part in making America a better place to live.