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Overview

“I have a dream” is one of the most famous phrases in America. It was spoken by Martin Luther King Jr., an important civil rights leader, during his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. He wanted equality and freedom for Black people across America.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an important part of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He helped shape, organize, and inspire it. His efforts were recognized by Time Magazine when he became its Man of the Year for 1963 and by winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. However, this speech is best known as his most famous one because it inspired millions to take action against racism and segregation during that time period.

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most important civil rights leaders in history. He was a man who fought for equality and peace, but how did he become such an influential figure? What were his motivations behind the movement? This passage tries to answer those questions by using information from Martin Luther King Jr.’s personal writings, letters, speeches, interviews, and more.

In this passage, you will learn about Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy on nonviolence and its origins. You’ll also find out why he criticized the Black Power movement and how he wanted to be remembered after his death.

Big Idea #1: Growing up, Martin Luther King Jr. experienced racial and economic injustice firsthand.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 and came into a world that was divided by race. The United States had just been hit with the Great Depression, which caused financial hardship for many people.

However, Martin Luther King Jr. was aware of his family’s disadvantages and the injustices they experienced. Despite that, he viewed himself as one of the luckier Black families in America because even though they weren’t wealthy, his father earned a decent living as a pastor. In addition to that, their faith helped them get through difficult times and remain strong. The key message is: Growing up, Martin Luther King Jr.’s experiences with racial injustice were very real to him.

Martin Luther King’s father was a great speaker and he was active in the civil rights movement.

In contrast, King’s mother, Alberta, was soft-spoken and gentle. She also sought to instill a sense of self-respect in her children despite the discrimination they faced. It was she who taught them about slavery in the United States and tried her best to explain segregation in the American South.

As a child, King was puzzled by the injustice of segregation. For example, he couldn’t play in many public parks or sit where he wanted on the bus. He also had to wait for months before seeing movies that were released in white theaters first. However, one incident really shook him up: his friend suddenly stopped playing with him because his father didn’t want them associating anymore.

As Martin Luther King Jr. got older, he realized that the racism in America was a systemic problem. He saw police brutality and KKK beatings as well as poverty in the Black community and understood that there was a connection between those things.

As a result, King began advocating for racial justice at the age of 14. He led church and Bible study groups and won a speech contest in his school against segregation.

Big Idea #2: At college, King refined his theological and philosophical worldviews.

King entered Morehouse College at the age of 15. He was inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s essay “On Civil Disobedience”. In this paper, Thoreau explains how he refused to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican-American War and slavery.