Martin Luther King was born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a well known minister of one of Atlanta�s leading black churches. In 1947, Martin Luther King was ordained a Baptist minister and later accepted the pastorship of Dexter Avenue Baptist in Montgomery, Alabama.

During the 1950�s, Martin Luther King became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement overtaking the South. His first challenge was the boycotting of buses in Montgomery. Mrs. Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. The arrest of Mrs. Parks triggered the 382 day boycott by black passengers. Many of the whites blamed Dr. King for the success of the boycott and threats on his life became very real when bomb exploded on his family�s front porch. However, Dr. King stood fast in his conviction of non-violence and urged his people to forgive their enemies and achieve a peaceful solution to their problems. The bus boycott was recognized as a clear victory for non-violent protest and King was regarded as a highly respected leader in the movement.

Dr. King took part in many marches and demonstrations. A huge Civil rights movement in Biringham, Alabama was followed by major drives for black voter registration. By 1967, Dr. King had been arrested and jailed 13 times for his non-violent demonstrations.

On August 28, 1963, a massive civil rights demonstration was held in front of the Linclon Memorial in Washington, D. C. Dr. King spoke to more than 250,000 people about his �dream.� This is part of his speech: