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“The definition of a leader is a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country”; however, the real definition should be Martin Luther King Jr.

KING’S EARLY LIFE:

• Born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929

• He was the son and grandson of black preachers

• King was a religion skeptic throughout high school

• Although, college changed his mind about religion and God

• He then started working as an assistant pastor at his childhood church, Ebenezer Baptist Church.

• His religious heritage greatly influenced King’s worldview, preaching, and ministry

CONTINUED LIFE: (WORK EXPERIENCE)

• Attended Morehouse University in 1944 at the age of 15

• After 4 years at Morehouse, he headed to Crozer Theological Seminary and Boston University

• 1954, King completed his doctorate at Boston University

• In September 1954, King was asked to serve as a full-time pastor of The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church

• Strong advocate for Civil Rights

• A member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

• President of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)

• Member of Southern Christian Leadership Conference

• Delivered speeches to graduates, including graduates of Alabama State College and NAACP.

• Participated in meetings with President Eisenhower and took advantage of opportunities to speak on the national stage.

DEVOTED LEADER TO CIVIL RIGHTS:

AN IMMENSE PROPONENT OF PEACE:

• Used nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs

• King wanted peace among everyone

• Expanded his Civil Rights and Peace lectures into many other cities

• Lectured about race-related issues with Civil Rights leaders

• King organized huge protests in the nation’s capital

• His “I Have a Dream” speech conveyed that all men could be brothers and King wanted peaceful change

RECEIVED PRIZES FOR BEING AN ASTONISHING PEACEMAKER:

• Received the Nobel Peace Prize

• Turned over the money he received from the Nobel Peace Prize to the furtherance of the Civil Rights Movement

• Named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963

• Awarded the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers

• Russwurm Award from the National Newspaper Publishers in 1957

• Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights presented by the Jamaican Government in 1968

DEATH AND AFTER LIFE:• King received frequent death threats due to his prominence

in the civil rights movement. As a consequence of these threats, he confronted death and made it a central part of his philosophy. He taught that murder could not stop the struggle for equal rights

• While standing on a balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel, Martin Luther King Jr. was struck by a sniper's bullet. The shooter, a malcontent drifter and former convict named James Earl Ray, was eventually apprehended after a two-month, international manhunt

• The killing sparked riots and demonstrations in more than 100 cities across the country

• Years after his death, he is the most widely known African-American leader of his era.

• His life and work have been honored with a national holiday, schools and public buildings named after him, and a memorial on Independence Mall in Washington, D.C.

RESOURCES:• Lewis, David. “King, Martin Luther, Jr.” Britannica Biographies 1 March. 2012: 5-1.

EBSCO Host. Web. 1 March 2014

• Jackson, Tray and Introduction by Clayborne. Becoming King. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 2008. Print.

• Branch, Taylor. The King Years. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2013. Print.

• “Martin Luther King Jr.” Bio.com. 9365086. A&E Networks Television. n.d. Web. 1 March. 2014

• Daniels, Greg. "The Office." Goodbye, Michael. Dir. Paul Feig. National Broadcasting Company. 28 Apr. 2011. Television.

• I Have A Dream Speech "Martin Luther King Jr. Online.". N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

• "Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Day of Service | PLNDR Blog:." PLNDR Blog Martin Luther King Jr Day Day of Service Comments. N.p., n.d. Digital Image. 07 May 2014.

• "500 or Less: MLK’s Impact on My Life." Jones and B. N.p., n.d. Digital Image. 08 May 2014.

• "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." Voice of Moore County Dr Martin Luther King Jr Comments. N.p., n.d. Digital Image. 08 May 2014.