If asked, the general public would not have to think hard to remember who echoed these historic words. With his supporters and critics, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who will definitely be remembered.
King first rose to prominence in 1956, after Rosa Parks had been arrested in December 1955. Along with fellow minister Ralph Abernathy and Alabama's state chairman of the NAACP, King organized a massive boycott of segregated city busses. The boycott was a success in more ways than one. It forced Montgomery to desegregate their busses, because they were going under without African-American customers. This also paved the way for hiring blacks to drive the buses. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling declared Montgomery's bus segregation rules as unconstitutional, granting King his first victory in the battle of civil rights.
A year later King and other black ministers assembled to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); King was elected president of the organization. In 1960, King and the SCLC helped organize a “sit-in” for black students in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. King urged students to continue their nonviolent means of expression. The “sit-in” began in April and by the time August arrived, 27 southern cities had ended segregation at lunch counters. King was successful yet again.
King and the SCLC moved the “sit-ins” on the road in their next activity. Challenging the south's compliance with a new Federal law preventing segregation, “Freedom Riders” rode the busses across the south to see if the law was being honored. Certain whites were not happy, as violence ensued; “Freedom Riders” were attacked and busses were overturned.
With King's popularity among the black community soaring, he and the SCLC were asked to help with civil rights movements in Albany, Ga., and Birmingham, Ala. On both occasions, King continued stressing the importance of nonviolent means to achieve a goal. King also found himself jailed in both cities, though he was later released.
On Aug. 27, 1963, King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech to a crowd of over 250,000 people. The speech gave a vision of hope, peace, and tolerance among whites and blacks in the United States. In 1964, King became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a peacemaker, promoting nonviolence and equal treatment for different races.
Black sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn., were protesting over unequal pay and poor working conditions. On April 3, 1968, King spoke at a rally in support of the workers, urging them to continue their nonviolent ways. King was aware of threats against his life and wanted his message to continue in the event of his death. The next night, while standing on the balcony outside of his hotel room, King was assassinated.
Having equality for both whites and blacks was King's main accomplishment. Through his efforts, various laws were changed to better the lives of African-Americans and allow them to enjoy the same freedoms whites had. In addition, those with disabilities benefit from King's “equality for all” message. Ramps for wheelchairs were required after the passage of certain laws. King's dream continues to live on in many people, regardless of their race, creed, religion, or other minority status.
Kenny Ellis is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at kellis@middlesborodailynews.com.
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