Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and civil rights leader whose dedication to nonviolent protest and moral courage transformed the struggle for racial equality. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a family steeped in Christian ministry, he earned a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University and, in 1954, became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. There he rose to prominence by leading the 1955–56 Montgomery Bus Boycott, which ended legal segregation on public transportation. As cofounder and first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King organized peaceful demonstrations, sit-ins, and marches, culminating in the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. His advocacy led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, landmark legislation that dismantled institutionalized segregation and secured voting rights for African Americans. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, King continued to champion economic justice and an end to the Vietnam War until his assassination in 1968. His enduring legacy of nonviolence, eloquence, and unwavering faith remains a guiding light in the ongoing pursuit of social justice.