“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (Martin, National Conference on Christian Education). Martin Luther King Junior was an influential black American because of his motivation to end racial injustices. His desire to create fairness and racial equality among black Americans helped shape the world as we know it today. He fought hard to “earn” African American freedom and equality, as well as strongly standing up for what was right. In the midst of the 20th century, he acted in peaceful protests, gave speeches, and made a real difference in achieving his goal. If people only act when they are comfortable, nothing will ever get accomplished, which is why we honor MLK for what he did.
Surprisingly, a poor childhood and family life were not the cause of his motivation. He had a generally happy childhood and family life, besides the racial injustices pushed upon him. Martin Luther King Junior was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his two siblings learned how to play the piano from their mother, and they got their religious and spiritual teachings from their father and grandfather. As any common boy, MLK enjoyed playing baseball and football. He was also a paperboy and wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. However, his family was almost immediately informed about the unfairness and inequality that flourished in the South. From the time he was born, MLK was informed that black and white people had different rights. If a black family wanted to eat at a restaurant, they would have to sit in a different section of the restaurant. They would have to use different restrooms than white people and sit in the back of movie theaters. Then one day, when MLK and his father visited a shoe store to get Martin some new shoes, they were almost immediately forced to the back of the store. The clerk said that they do not serve colored people in the front of the store. When he got home that day, his mother told him not to show his anger when someone made him angry. She reassured him that he was just as good as anyone else. This was a large realization to Martin. This was one of the major components of Martin’s feelings towards the Jim Crow laws. Many events, such as this one, shaped MLK and made him become the man we know him as today.
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MLK was a relatively successful man, particularly correlating with his ability to achieve numerous things such as going to college and becoming the SCLC president, all while being a black man in the early 1900s. In 1944, MLK graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and was admitted into Morehouse College at the age of 15. Although his father and maternal grandfather had also attended this college, MLK did not intend to follow in their footsteps. The president of the college, Dr. Benjamin May, was a supporter of racial equality, which helped King decide to go to the school. Then in 1948, Martin graduated from Morehouse College and attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship, and was elected president of his class, in which the majority was white. He then entered a graduate program at Boston University in 1953, earning a Doctorate in Systematic Theology two years later. However, while he was still in Boston in 1953, he met Coretta Scott, who eventually became his wife. They got married in the same year, settled in Montgomery, Alabama, and MLK became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Therefore, Martin was well-educated and had a great sense of the changes he was attempting to make in the world. Martin made his opinion on the importance of education clear when he said, “We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education. A complete education gives one not only the power of concentration but also worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living” (Martin, Morehouse College). In analysis, this statement infers that education can teach you morals and values. Education will provide students with the social and emotional skills they need in order to survive in the real world. It will not only supply its students with knowledge, but education will help build a greater character among students. According to King, “It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life” (Martin, Morehouse College). He has also said, “At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction” (Martin, Morehouse College). In these statements, MLK is claiming that people in this world are unfair and blind to the truth. Most people do not think logically when it comes to decisions. He believed that the purpose of education was to enable us to understand the reality of certain situations. King most likely used these skills to help Americans acknowledge the truth of racial segregation and how it was inadequate. There was no reason for races to be separated and unequal. Nevertheless, MLK had a great education, and he perceived it as a tool designed to assist people in realizing the truth.
As previously mentioned, MLK’s dream was to create a world free of racial segregation and inequality. The effort MLK actually put toward his goal was astonishing. Many significant events occurred involving King, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s movements, and MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. To start, the Montgomery Bus Boycott took place in Montgomery, Alabama, which happened to be where King and his wife lived. The Bus Boycott took place on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks, an African American woman, refused to surrender her bus seat for a white passenger. As an unfair consequence, Rosa Parks was arrested due to her violation of the city’s segregation laws, Activists formed the Montgomery Improvement Association to boycott the unfair transportation system; MLK was elected the leader of the association. This eventually led to the buses being unsegregated due to the law being unconstitutional.; Many African Americans had MLK to thank for this. Then, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, MLK along with other civil rights activists established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), in 1957. This group was fully committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protests. The SCLC motto, “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed,” was held in belief by MLK until the day of his death. As the SCLC president, he would travel around the world giving peaceful lectures about racial equality to political leaders, religious figures, and activists. He even once got to meet family members and followers of Gandhi, while traveling in India. Also, with other civil rights and religious groups, MLK worked to organize the March on Washington for freedom and jobs. Their main goal was to eradicate African-American hate, granting them freedom and better jobs. There were about 200,000 to 300,000 participants in this march. This march ended up being a major factor in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And finally, probably his most recognizable achievement, on August 28, 1963, MLK recited his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, in which he spoke of his hatred of segregation and his effort to end it. A call for equality and freedom, MLK’s famous and successful “I Have a Dream” speech became one of the most defining moments in the civil rights movement. It is also considered one of the most iconic speeches in American history. About 250,000 people were gathered around the Lincoln Memorial on the day of the speech, just to hear the wise words of Martin Luther King Junior. One of the most well-known quotes from the speech is, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (Martin, I Have a Dream). This relates to Martin’s many beliefs, which state that people should not treat each other based on their skin color, but rather their personalities. This all led to King, at the age of 35, becoming the youngest man to ever receive the Nobel Prize at the time. He won $54,123, which he donated back to the civil rights movement. Since he donated this money, it is easily inferred that he was very passionate, determined, and serious about achieving racial equality. Unfortunately, King was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, but his legacy will forever be remembered and honored by Americans and many other people all over the world.
In conclusion, because of his deep desire and motivation to end racial injustices, Martin Luther King Junior was an influential African American. From the years he was born to the years he died, he always recognized the problems of racial segregation and performed many things to help spread the word, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, becoming president of and peacefully protesting with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Martin Luther King Junior made a huge impact on society with these movements, as well as being a successful, well-rounded man who achieved many things, specifically accomplishments relating to education. King graduated from Morehouse College and attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship, and was elected president of his class. Therefore, whenever you lose motivation or hope to pursue something, just remember that Martin Luther King Junior achieved so many great things with nothing but his motivation, bravery, and desire to end racial segregation.
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