Martin Luther King

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Martin Luther King
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His History
Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta in 1929.
He was the son of a Baptist minister and after
studying theology At university he became a
minister too. At university he studied Mahatma
Gandhis idea of satyagraha ( if what you fight
for is true, and you use non violent methods,
eventually Your case will overcome your
opponents).
King became minister of the Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Alabama, and was soon leading the
black civil rights movement.
Martin Luther King was chairman of the Montgomery
Improvement Society and he decided to fight
against segregation on the buses, but declared
We will not resort to violence. We will not
degrade ourselves with hatred. Love will be
returned for hate.
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How black people were discriminated
Martin Luther King lived in America from 1929 to
1968 at a time when it was not against the law to
discriminate against black people. In many of the
southern United States at the time, black people
were denied their rights to equal treatment,
equal education and the right to vote... Black
people earned half the amount white people
earned, many could not vote they lived in
ghettos and they were often set apart in public
places.
In Montgomery, there were whites only seats on
the buses, and they werent allowed to use the
same fountains or restrooms.
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Martin Luther Kings Beliefs
Martin Luther King was a black American Christian
who believed that God created black people and
white people equally. All humans were made 'in
the image and likeness of God'. Because of his
Christian beliefs, Martin Luther King worked
towards equality by organising non-violent
protests. He believed that it was never right to
use violence, because this does not express the
love of God, it expresses just hatred.
His chief influence was Jesus, and it was his
reading of the sermon on the mount and the
parable of the sheep and goats that convinced
King that all people should be treated equally,
and that the way to achieve this was by turning
the other cheek as Jesus Commanded.
We can no longer afford to worship the God of
Hate, or bow before the altar of retaliation.
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Martin Luther Kings Achievements
King organised non violent protests to try and
stop racial discrimination. In 1964 he won the
Nobel Peace Prize and was the youngest ever
person to receive it. His work to create social
harmony between Americas black and white
community included a boycott of buses which had
separate seating areas for Blacks and Whites.
King then began the Civil Rights Movement to give
all Americans equal rights.
In 1963, Martin led the biggest and most famous
march of all - the March on Washington. Thousands
of people attended the civil rights march and
listened to Martin's speech. In his speech,
Martin told the people about his dream He said,
"I have a dream that my four children will one
day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the colour of their skin but by the
content of their character"
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• Serrena, Ciara and Alex Yr 11