DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

THE EARLY YEARS

(1929-1968)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta,
Georgia. He was the third child born to Martin, Sr. and Alberta King.
His father was the minister of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Martin Luther
King, Jr.s parents taught him to treat other people with respect. Dr.
King was a very good student in school. He loved to read and learn. Dr. King
attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. He graduated from college in 1948.
Dr. King went to Crozer Theological Seminary to study to become a minister.
Then he went to Boston University to earn his doctorate degree. He met his
wife, Coretta, while he was at Boston University. They were married in 1953.
Dr. and Mrs. King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he became the
minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. King supported Rosa Parks
when she was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white man.
The black people in Montgomery did not ride the bus for 381 days, until the
United States Supreme Court ruled that black people did not have to sit on
the back of the bus. Dr. King believed that all people were equal. It did not
matter what color their skin was or where they were from. He wanted all
people to be treated with respect. A group of people formed the Southern
Leadership Conference in 1957. The group wanted to help blacks to be
treated more fairly. Dr. King was elected as the president of this group. A
march was held in Washington, D.C. in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There
were 37,000 people at this march. Dr. King became a leader of the civil rights
movement in America after this march. The United States government began
to listen to Dr. King. They formed committees to investigate the problems of
racism. Dr. King went to many towns and cities to speak. He wrote a book,
Stride Toward Freedom. Many people liked his book. Dr. King went to India to
study nonviolence. This was the protest style of Mohandas Gandhi. Dr. King
returned to Atlanta after his trip. He continued to go to marches and
demonstrations. He was often arrested for leading marches and
demonstrations, but he believed in what he was doing. Gradually, more and
more Americans came to agree with him. Dr. Kings famous I Have A Dream
speech was given on August 28, 1963, in Washington D.C. It was the 100th
Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Act, which had freed the
slaves. Dr. King spoke in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There were over
200,000 people there to hear Dr. King speak. Some of the people were black
and some were white. This speech changed the way some Americans felt
about the civil rights movement. In 1964, Dr. King was honored for his work
with the civil rights movement. He won the Nobel Peace Prize. He divided the
$54,000 prize among several civil rights movement organizations. President
Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1965. It stated that
people could not be discriminated against because of their race, color, or
national origin. Dr. King continued to work with the civil rights movement. He
gave many speeches and visited cities and towns. In April 1968, Dr. King
went to Memphis, Tennessee, to help sanitation workers with a strike. He
gave his last speech on April 4, 1968. He was killed as he stood on a hotel
balcony. America was saddened by his death. His funeral was held in Atlanta
on April 9, 1968. Dr. King was buried in Atlanta, Georgia.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1. Where did Dr. King meet his wife, Coretta? 2. What did Dr.
Kings parents teach him?
a. in Atlanta, Georgia a. to be a minister

b. at Boston University b. to play the piano

c. at Morehouse College c. to treat other people with respect

d. in Montgomery, Alabama d. to be a writer

3. Where did Dr. King study to become a minister? 4. Why did people in
Montgomery refuse to ride
a. Boston University the bus?
b. Morehouse College a. because Dr. King did not
preach
c. The University of Georgia b. because they felt that Rosa Park was
unfairly arrested
5. Where did Dr. and Mrs. King move to when he became the pastor of
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church?
a. Atlanta, Georgia 6. According to the article, ______.
b. Montgomery, Alabama a. Dr. King was a good student.
c. New York, New York b. Dr. King was born in New York,
New York.
d. Boston, Massachusetts c. Dr. King studied to become a
dentist.
d. none of these

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Dr. King go to India?
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2. What did Dr. King believe about people?
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3. When did Dr. King become a leader of the civil rights movement in
America?
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4. What was the name of Dr. Kings book?
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5. Why did Dr. King go to Memphis?
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6. Where is Dr. King buried?
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UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS:
1. INMART = _____MARTIN_______
2. TTOACRE = __________________
3. TECPSER = ___________________
4. ECAEP = _____________________
5. OVEETMNM = ________________
6. IZPRE = ______________________
7. LTANATA = ___________________
8. MEADR = ____________________
9. LAQEU = _____________________
10. HSEECP = ____________________