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MLK jr. Hero — or Champion
Martin Luther King, Jr. (born Michael King, Jr., January 15, 1929) died April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. A Baptist minister turned social activist, King led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death.
King’s leadership was instrumental in ending the legal segregation of African Americans in the United States. His rise to the national stage culminated as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, promoting nonviolent activism, such as the March on Washington in 1963, to achieve civil rights. In recognition of his efforts and means, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
In the early 1960s, King’s influence peaked. He was handsome, well-spoken and determined. He captured the attention of television producers and the media. King understood the power of the media, especially television. King used television to spread his message, as his tactics were made for TV. Non-violence, sit-ins, protest marches, all while peacefully calling out the disparity facing the black population in many areas of the country — simply because their skin color was different.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s message and methods aroused an allegiance of devoted African Americans and whites across the country and the world. King’s message resonated with President Kennedy and President Johnson’s administrations.
