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Martin Luther King for Kids
I Have A Dream... do you know what this is? It’s a name of a song, but that’s not what I’m talking about I’m talking about Martin Luther King, a man with vision, a man with hope, a man with a dream. Martin Luther King was born in 1929 in Atlanta Georgia, he would later be known as the man that wanted people to realize that all men were created equal. He became a Baptist minister and one of the most important leaders of the movement for equality during the 1960s. The United States had long operated under a system of segregation (separation) for blacks and whites in employment, schools and even in restroom facilities! While many people think that this type of behaviour was found only in southern states of America there was just as many instances of this type of activity to be found in the northern, eastern, and western states. Integration (mixing) was happening, but the work was slow and difficult and one of the big worries was how to unify people on both sides and bring people together regardless of race. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. believed that the answers would be found in peaceful resistance and not through violence. He championed the causes of equal rights for all and insisted that non-violent marches and protests be used to call attention to segregation so that people could see how wrong it was. Whether it was giving speeches in Washington, DC or leading the citizens to protest how they were treated on public buses, Dr King was always there on the front lines to support and inspire others. Although he was still a very young man in his 30s when he began to lead marches throughout the country, this inspiring and charismatic speaker was able to connect with both black and white citizens and is credited as being one of the greatest American civil rights leaders. He wanted people to realize that we are all equal and should be granted basic human rights no matter what the colour of their skin or their nationality. Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 to honour his courageous and selfless work. He made history when he received it because he was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Regardless of what he and others faced during the struggle for equal rights, it was Dr King’s calm reassurance and leadership that kept both sides from launching into more violent outbursts. He never allowed bitterness or personal attacks to detract him from his mission and he inspired all who followed him to act in the same respectful, dedicated and determined manner. Martin Luther King was able to change many things during his life, but he was also aware that there were many who wished him harm. He was assassinated in 1968 while in the town of Memphis, Tennessee. His family and followers were devastated, but his death created an even stronger desire to see that the civil rights movement would continue. Today the birthday of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is a national holiday that is celebrated on the 3rd Monday of January every year. He will always be remembered for his speech “I have a Dream” below are just a few sentences from that famous speech; I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
This is an original news article © The Kids Window
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