文档介绍：1 AN INTRODUCTION TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Prepared by the GBCHRB, March, 2010 Source: Wikipedia, March, 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr.(January 15, 1929 –April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist,and prominent leader in the African-Americancivil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rightsin the United States, and he has e a human rights icon: King is recognized as a martyrby two Christian churches. [1]A Baptistminister, [2]King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycottand helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conferencein 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest oratorsin . history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prizefor his work to end racial segregationand racialdiscriminationthrough civil disobedienceand other non-violent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and opposing the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective. King was assassinatedon April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedomin 1977 and Congressional Gold Medalin 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Daywas established as a . national holidayin 1986. I. EARLY LIFE Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, ia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Alberta Williams King. [3]King's father was born "Michael King," and Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named "Michael King, Jr.," until the family traveled to Europe in 1934 and visited Germany. His father soon changed both of their names to Martin Luther in honor of the German Protestant leader Martin Luther. [4]He had an older sister, Willie Chris