Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an inspirational Baptist minister in America. He received the Nobel peace prize for his work regarding the civil rights of the African Americans suffering from the white supremacy in America. He is most known for his role in the progression of civil rights. He was a nonviolent representative due to his Christian beliefs and inspiration from the nonviolent activism displayed by Mahatma Gandhi.

Throughout his life as an activist, Dr. King endured hate and racism. Early in his life, shortly after he became an activist, Martin Luther King Jr. lead the Montgomery bus boycott. In quick succession, he progressed through his life leading several demonstrations and most notably his march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Before the Lincoln Memorial, he gave his renowned speech; "I Have a Dream".

In 1965, Dr. Kings organization SCLC and the SNCC lead the walk from Selma to Montgomery protesting their current inability to vote. The system was flawed, designed to oppress the African American community. The current system allowed every citizen to register to vote, however, an African American citizen would have to complete the Alabama Literacy Test to register. The end of the test was an oral questioning before a board member at their instruction. The applicant would have to be able to recite any excerpts from the U. S. Constitution. Further on the applicant would be tested in their writing skills. The test is seemingly impossibly as displayed in the movie Selma (2015), as the board member could request anything from the applicant, such as: "Name the 67 state judges in Alabama".

The march from Selma to Montgomery orchestrated by the SCLC and SNCC was a major turning point in the efforts to gain the support from the public for the civil rights movement. The march was depicted by news organizations and portrayed in the film earlier spoken of. Selma presents the situation as gory and brutal. Although Dr. King was not present during the first walk, it was clear that he had been planning the march. The nonviolent protest is now referred to as "Bloody Sunday" due to the outbreak of police brutality during the peaceful demonstration. The footage collected by said news organizations caused outrage nationally. After the incident, Martin Luther King Jr. had an outcry for justice, he gathered people of faith of any race to help the cause with the statement "all men are made equal". The support of the people of faith and Caucasians relieved the successful walk of brutality.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sacrificed everything for what he believed in; equality.

"A life is not fully lived, unless you die for those you love and what you believe in." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.