Matin Luther King's biography

Today we are going to talk about an American activist called Martin Luther King Jr.[pic 1]

Table des matières

His life        1

What is the segregation?        1

His speech.        2

His memorial        2

New vocabulary.        2

1. His life

He was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1953, he became  pastor of the Baptist church, and married Coretta Scott. They had four children together: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice. MLK was a peaceful activist for black men’s Civil rights. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man in a bus and got arrested, which led to a massive bus boycott in Montgomery directed by MLK to protest against segregation. In 1957, he was elected president of the “Southern Christian Leadership Conference”, a pacific organization leading Afro American churches who want to protest. In august, 1963 he pronounced his speech “I have a dream”. The president JFK supported him in his fight against racial segregation. In 1964, he became the youngest winner of the Nobel peace prize for his campaign against the war in Vietnam and poverty. Finally, he died in 1968 assassinated by James Earl Ray.

What is the segregation?

The racial segregation is the separation of people based on race. In the USA, the African American were segregated. In South Africa, native Africans and European settlers were divided, it was called the Apartheid.

In the 18th century in the USA, slaves from Africa were used to work the land. In 1804, the north of America banned slavery, but the south refused to do the same because they believed slavery was right, and that’s how the Civil War began.

Since then, buses and shops had separated sections, restaurants and hotels were completely separated.

Martin Luther King Jr began to rally for equal rights for blacks. In 1964, he convinced the government to allow Black Americans to vote in the presidential elections. White-only school became illegal, black students were escorted by armed police officers. It took years for the schooling system to change.

Today, African americans and Caucasian American have fundamentally the same rights. But there is still racism persisting, an black people often have to face injustice, such as police brutalities.

His speech.

His “I have a dream” speech is one of the most famous speeches. He calls for an end to racism, and describes his dream of freedom, equality and peace blacks and whites.

« I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

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 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.”

His memorial

MLK helped change history for black people of America, and for his activism, he was dedicated a memorial in Washington DC.

New vocabulary.

A pastor : un pasteur 

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