The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Small men dream small dreams.

Big men dream big dreams.
He dreamed the biggest dream of all.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. His father was the minister of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, as was his father before him."M.L.," as he was called, lived with his parents, his sister and brother in Atlanta Ga. Their home was not far from the church his father preached at. M.L.'s mother and father taught their children what would become an important part of M.L.'s life - to treat all people with respect. Martin's father worked hard to break down the barriers between the races. His father believed African-Americans should register their complaints by voting. As M.L. grew up he found that not everyone followed his parents principles. He noticed that "black" people and white people where treated differently. He saw that he and his white friends could not drink from the same water fountains and could not use the same restrooms. M.L.'s best friend as a child was a white boy and as children they played happily together. But when they reached school age the friends found that even though they lived in the same neighborhood, they could not go to the same school. M.L.'s friend would go to a school for white children only and M.L. was sent to a school for "black" children. After the first day of school M.L. and his friend were never allowed to play together again…….

Martin Luther King was the most famous man to fight for human rights.He was adored by black people, whom he gave hope for a better future. He was, and still is, a real symbol of freedom.

The 60’s were a time of big demonstrations and fighting for human rights. Because of his courage and oratorical skills, Martin Luther King was the leading figure of the black opposition. His most famous speech took place on the 28th August 1963 during a demonstration in Washington D.C. He addressed more then 250,000 people beginning with his famous words : ¨I have a dream‘.

In 1963 Martin Luther King became Time magazine’s Man of the Year and in 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated on the 4th April, 1968, when he was trying to help a workers‘ strike in Memphis. For all African-Americans he will always be symbol of the human rights struggle.