Martin Luther King Junior 19291968

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Martin Luther King Junior (1929-1968)

• By Kelly

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• Martin Luther King Junior was born on January 15,
  1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a son and a
  grandson of Baptist ministers.
• In 1935, his father changed both of their names
  to Martin, to honor the German Protestant.
• Young Martin attended segregated public schools
  and graduated from high school at age 15. In
  1948, he received his B.A. degree from Morehouse
  college in Georgia.

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• Between 1957 and 1968, King canvassed the country
  and appeared more than 2500 times to speak in
  protest against injustices toward his race.
• He wrote five books and numerous articles.
  Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail, written in
  1964 was a manifesto for the revolution, drawing
  on his experience as a preacher to galvanize and
  inspire an audience.
• Kings finest hour came on August 28, 1963 when he
  lead the great march in Washington, DC, that
  culminated with his famous I Have a Dream
  speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

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• In the spring of 1968, King went to Memphis,
  Tennessee, to show support for black city workers
  striking for higher wages and better treatment.
• Martin Luther King Junior was shot and killed on
  April 4, 1968 as he stood on the balcony of his
  motel in Memphis. He was 39 years old.
• Two months after the shooting escaped convict
  James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the murder,
  although he later insisted he was innocent.