Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. :: essays research papers

To inspire a shared vision you must have certain qualities. You have to make a shared sense of destiny with people. You have to give life to that vision, and you have to make it appeal to the masses. These are only a few ways to recruit other people to your beliefs. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was capable of these things and he inspired millions of people worldwide. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were the Reverend King and Mrs. Martin Luther King. He had a sister and a brother. As a child he would play in his front yard with two white boys. The boys’ father owned a general store in the neighborhood, so naturally they knew each other since they were small. One day, the King children went to the store to meet the boys, but that day was different. The boys said that they weren’t allowed to play with black kids. This was Martin King Jr.’s first encounter with segregation. He didn’t understand it, but once he did, he swore that he would change the world. King buried himself in studies to be as well educated as possible. At the age of 15, King graduated Booker T. Washington High School and was accepted into Morehouse College. After graduating college he went to Crozer Theological Seminary. He joined the Baptist Ministry on February 25, 1948 when he was 19 years old. In 1951, he was accepted to Boston University. While there, he met Coretta Scott, and they got married in 1953. Shortly after, they moved to Montgomery, Alabama. On June 5, 1955 he received a doctorate of philosophy in systematic theology from the Boston University. Soon after he earned his doctorate, King learned of Rosa Parks and a bus boycott. This was his first calling to fight against segregation. On December 5, 1955, he was made president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, making him the official spokesman for the boycott. In November of 1956, the Supreme Court ruled bus segregation illegal. This raised the morale of black people in the U.S. There was now proof that they could obtain equal rights. The struggle began, but King was using a new method. He practiced non-violence in his boycotts and marches. King formed the Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. This conference would discuss ways to fight for equal rights without violence.