Words of the Week 5/2015

Dr Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs.

He was born Michael King but his father, Martin Luther King, Sr., changed his name in honor of the German reformer Martin Luther.

On October 14, 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.

In 1968, King was planning a national occupation of Washington, D.C., to be called the Poor People’s Campaign, when he was assassinated on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee. His death was followed by riots in many U.S. cities.