Martin Luther King Jr Essay Example For Students

Martin Luther King Jr Essay Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most influential people of this century. King is not a great figure in history just because he is famous; he is great because he served the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is best remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of their skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed Kings character, which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Through reading I Have a Dream Writings and Speeches that Changed the World, we learn that his values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, and peace were what motivated him to greatness. Integrity is a central value in a leaders character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one-day this nation would live up to the creed, all men are created equal. No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950s and 1960s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing one man can make a difference, and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say, and do. This event catapulted Martin into the civil rights movement. Martins home was bombed by racists trying to scare him several times. He was even thrown in Birmingham Jail, where he wrote a famous letter. While Martin and several black ministers are meeting in, 1957, the home of Rev. Abbernathy is bombed along with several Negro churches. In October 1960, Martin is arrested at a protest and ended up serving time on a probation violation from a traffic arrest case. He was sentenced to four months hard labor, but was released early when Senator John F. Kennedy intervened. On August 28, 1963, Martin led a march on Washington D.C. It was there that he gave his most famous speech, I have a dream. Martin was a very peaceful person, and strongly denoted any violence in his speeches. His speeches were strong, and colorful. He spoke of equality for all men regardless of race. Violence erupted between the races in the early sixties, riots, bombings, and murders. It was a very turbulent time. Martin distressed over the violence pleads with the black community for peaceful protests, and marches. The violence grew. April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King is shot in the neck, by a gunman, and dies at St Josephs Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee. Martins dream, would be carried on by his wife, Coretta Scott King, and their four children. Martin Luther King brought many changes to the U.S. constitution and the laws by which these lands are governed. Blacks were eventually allowed the right to vote, eat in public establishments, and even attend white schools, thanks to integration laws stemming from Martins integrity. Today, all men, and women, have equal rights under the constitution. Bibliography: .