Transcript SVOBODEN NAKONETZ!!!!

SVOBODEN
NAKONETZ!!!!
THE LIFE OF
MARTIN LUTHER
KING, JR.
BY:
ZACHARY
PRITCHETT, PCV
On January 15, we celebrate the life and the legacy of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Many people have heard of the
legendary civil rights figure, but what do you know
about him?
COCA-COLA ISN’T
THE ONLY WORLD
RENOWNED
PRODUCT FROM
GEORGIA
When Martin Luther
King, Jr. was born on
January 15, 1929, his
original first name was
Michael. The reason for
the name change is a
little hazy; his father
thought it was to honor
the leader of The
Protestant
Reformation, but his
grandfather could not
read or write, and was
simply confused.
MLK JR., AS A
REGULAR KID
Martin was the middle
child in a group of
three, with on older
sister, Willie Christie,
and a younger brother,
Alfred Daniel Williams
King. He sang in his
church choir at the
movie premiere of
Gone with the Wind,
and when he was 15,
was smart enough to
enroll at Morehouse
College as a freshman.
However…
SCHOOL DAZE
When MLK Jr. was
a student, he was a
ladies man and a
great dancer. He
had a hard time
keeping up with
his studies, and as
a result, graduated
with a 2.48 grade
point average.
SCHOOL DAZE
His major, by the
way, was in
sociology.
Ironically, he
wanted to be a
lawyer instead of a
pastor, because he
thought that they
were responsible
for helping people.
MLK, JR. CONSIDERS
SEMINARY SCHOOL
When he was a
junior in college, he
renewed his faith,
and started
considering the
ministry as a
promising career.
The president at the
time, Benjamin Elijah
Mays, was not
exactly excited to
recommend him to
the seminary,
though, given MLK’s
GPA.
DID MLK, JR.
EVENTUALLY GO?
Yes, he did—to
Crozer Theological
Seminary in
Chester
Pennsylvania,
where he became
their valedictorian.
After his studies at
Crozer, he did his
Ph. D dissertation
at Boston
University.
MLK AT BOSTON
UNIVERSITY
While there, he
studied the works
of many leaders
and theologians
like Reinhold
Neibuhr, and
Hindu Mahatma
Gandhi—who
would be a major
influence on the
Civil Rights
Movement in the
1950’s and ‘60s.
“THE NEGRO IS
YOUR BROTHER”
In April of 1963, MLK
participated in a
non-violent
campaign
conducted by the
SCLC (explained in
the next slide), and
the Alabama
Christian
Movement for Civil
Rights. As a result,
he was arrested
and thrown in jail.
“THE NEGRO IS
YOUR BROTHER”
While eight white clergy
sympathized with his
views on segregation,
they also believed that
arguments over
segregation should be
fought in the courts and
not in the streets, which
they detailed in the
sermon, “A Call to
Unity.” King disagreed,
declaring in his essay,
“The Negro is Your
Brother,”: “Injustice
anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere.”
Many people know this
essay as “A Letter from
a Birmingham Jail.”
A MAN IS (PARTLY)
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SCLC
MLK developed close
relationships with
many people, including
a man named Bayard
Rustin. Among the
many responsibilities
he is credited for, he
helped to establish the
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference,
an organization
formed to end all
forms of segregation.
But he also had a hand
in a pivotal point in the
Civil Rights
Movement…
THE MARCH ON
WASHINGTON
Rustin was the
chief organizer of
the 1963 March on
Washington For
Jobs and Freedom.
“I HAVE A
DREAM”
While MLK gave
arguably his most
famous speech in
Washington, D.C.
on August 28, 1963,
and was one of
history’s greatest
orators, he did not
write that speech.
That honor goes to
a man named
Walter Fauntroy, a
Civil Rights activist.
1964
This would be
the biggest year
in MLK’s life at
the age of 35, as
he would be the
first African
American to be
Time’s “Man of
the Year”…
1964
…and he would
be the youngest
recipient of the
Nobel Peace
Prize.
J. EDGAR HOOVER:
NOT A FAN OF MLK
At the height of the
Vietnam War, MLK
spoke out against
the government for
imposing the draft
allowing young men
to die for a senseless
war. The FBI grew
concerned about his
statements, branded
him a terrorist, and
inserted spies in his
meetings and
activities to track is
movements,
whereabouts and
conversations.
APRIL 4
On this date in 1968,
MLK would give the
last speech in his life,
“I’ve Been to the
Mountaintop.” Around
6 p.m., he would be
fatally shot in the head
of the Lorraine Motel in
Memphis, Tennessee.
His funeral would
draw thousands of
people around the
world to Atlanta. One
of his pallbearers was
fellow Morehouse Man
and future superstar
Samuel L. Jackson.
WHEN WAS THE
FIRST MLK HOLIDAY
OBSERVED?
The first MLK
holiday was
observed on
January, 1986. The
president at the
time, Ronald
Reagan, after
major convincing,
declared MLK’s
birthday a national
holiday.
WHAT DO U2 AND
STEVIE WONDER
HAVE IN COMMON?
Aside from
championing causes
such as famine relief,
AIDS research and
equal rights, they have
written top 40 hits in
regards to the life of
MLK, Jr.:
U2: “Pride (In the
Name of Love:”
Stevie Wonder:
“Happy Birthday”
-The latter would serve
as the campaign for
the MLK, Jr. holiday.
DO WE CELEBRATE
MLK’S HOLIDAY ON
HIS BIRTHDAY?
Yes, we do;
however, we
officially
celebrate his
birthday on
the third
Monday in
January as
well.
WHAT DO PEOPLE
DO ON MLK’S
BIRTHDAY?
To honor MLK’s
legacy, people
attend special
programs across the
country, and listen to
his sermons,
especially the last
sermon before he
was assassinated.
People also visit his
gravesite and lay a
wreath next to his
tombstone in his
memory.
WHAT DO PEOPLE
DO ON MLK’S
BIRTHDAY? (Cont’d)
People also do
community service,
such as renovating
homes, cleaning up
neighborhoods
and parks, and
feeding the
homeless. The
slogan for the
holiday is “Not a
day off, but a day
on.”
JUST HOW
SIGNIFICANT IS THIS
MAN?
As of today, Martin
Luther King Jr. is
the only AfricanAmerican and the
only non-president
to have both a
holiday in his
honor and a
monument in the
Washington
National Mall.
MARTIN LUTHER
KING. JR QUOTES
• “Faith is taking the first
step even when you can’t
see the whole staircase.”
• “Let no man pull you so
low as to hate him.
• “Nothing in this world is
more dangerous than
sincere ignorance and
conscientious stupidity.”
• “The ultimate measure
of a man is not where he
stands in moments of
comfort and convenience,
but where he stands in
times of challenge and
controversy.”
SOURCES:
www.galeencyclopedia.com.
www.cracked.com
www.morehouse.edu
www.sclc.org
www.wikipedia.org