Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; 1929 – 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in advancing civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. King became an activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, serving as its first president. King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history. In 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by riots in many U.S. cities. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in 2011. His leadership was centred in his boldness, oratory, passion and uncompromising values.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.