Martin Luther King 1929 - 1968 Martin Luther King Jr., was a very brave and strong man. He fought for what he believed in "Freedom" for all African Americans. He was just a small man who rose to be the greatest man in History. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia. On January 15, 1929 into a family of black americans. His father, Martin Luther King Sr., was a baptist minister, his mother Alberta Williams King, was a school teacher. Martin Luther King was threatened with death at a young age it kept going through all 39 years of his life to his final point in life, at the balcony in a Memphis motel. When he was five leaning against an upstairs banister, then he plunged headfirst over it to the floor twenty feet below, then bounced through an open door into the cellar. He got up, nothing broken, nothing scratched a few years later, a car hit his bike from behind and hurled Martin Luther King Jr., to the sidewalk. The same thing happened six months later and hurled him over the handle bars. A little while later he got hit in the head with a baseball bat by his brother, (Alfred Daniel). On 1957 in Montgomery he had a bomb threat on his house. He said this "tell Montgomery that they can keep shooting and I'm going to stand up to them". If I had to die tomorrow I would die happy because I've been to the mountain top I've seen the promise land and it's going to be here in Montgomery. The old Montgomery is passing away. Martin Luther King Jr., was a hellion though he didn't smoke, drink or swear, says brother Alfred Daniel. He had his share of girl friends and I decided I couldn't keep up with him, especially since he was crazy about dances and just about the best jitterbug in town. Martin Luther King Jr., was a natural take-charge type in sports and social conduct. He could out wrestle anybody in their gang, he says it's a "boyhood companion". In basketball they called him a "will shoot" he would take the ball and shoot from anywhere on the court rather then pass. His parents slipped him into gradeschool at the age of five. Later he hot married to a girl named Coretta Scott. They were wed by his father

on June 18, 1953, on the spacious lawn of the house of Obie Scott, Caretta Scotts father. Two months later Martin Luther King Jr., after being in school without a break and completed the Requirements for his P.H.D. He was asked to preach at the Dester Avenue Baptist Church, diagonally across Capitol Square from the high domed Montgomery statehouse, of which on the steps, on February 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis had taken the oath of office as president of the Confederate States of America. Later on there was a lady named Rosa Parks she got on he bus to go to work, as they were on their way they stopped at Court Square in front of the Empire Theatre. On the bus were 24 blacks including Rosa parks who was sitting behind the white section which was filled with 12 white passengers. Six whites boarded the bus, the bus driver got up and asked the african americans to give up there seats to the white people. They arose immediately and moved every- one except Rosa Parks, the driver asked again is she would give up her seat again, She refused. The driver summoned the police who arrested her for violating the cities segregation ordinances. They finally went on a one-day boycott which stretched 382 days. On Good Friday of 1963 Dr. King was participating in a civil rights march for Birmingham, Alabama, was arrested, held incommunicado for 24 hours in solitary confinement and not allowed to see his lawyers during that time. Later, Dr. King gave his "I Have A Dream Speech" where 300,00 people showed up. It was the most touching speech ever given by anyone he talked abut how he wants the black man to be free to stop the hate and to believe in the promise of peach love and the pursuit of happiness. "I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY THIS NATION WILL RISE UP AND SEE THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. I HAVE A DREAM THAT ONE DAY EVEN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN OASIS OF BROTHERHOOD". Later on a trip to Memphis, Dr. King was murdered by an assasin firing from a bush as Dr. King stood on a balcony of the Lorraine Hotel talking with friends and members of his staff. It was the fourth of April 1968. That incident touched everyone and was the sadest moment in history. He stood for everything good and was killed trying to achieve his goal in life which is that no matter what color your skin be you should show equality among men. His dream mostly came true, although there is still racism, white only places became non- existant and people finally understand that all men are created equal and you should not judge people on the color of their skin, but on the size of their heart.